Grow Omaha
News Briefs

NP Dodge Real Estate has unveiled a rebranded logo and new slogan, “Make It Possible.” The new message “encapsulates the belief in the power of real estate to change lives and the commitment to help agents, clients, and communities grow.” NP Dodge will celebrate its 170th anniversary next year and is the longest-running real estate company in the United States.

Rush Market is closing its store at Oakview Mall. The non-traditional furniture retailer has occupied the former Younkers department store space since 2019. The retailer has hinted about a new location on its Facebook page but no announcements have been made.

As the Omaha Airport Authority moves full speed ahead on Eppley Airfield’s $950 million terminal expansion project, passenger traffic continues to rise. Eppley welcomed 420,432 passengers in September, up 3.4 percent from the same month a year ago. Year-to-date traffic is 3.91 million, which is up 6.4 percent over 2023.

Prehistoric Putt plans to open November 1st in the former Nobbies building in Bel Air Plaza northwest of 120th & West Center Road. The space will feature four, 18-hole mini-golf courses with full-scale dinosaurs, an arcade, a virtual reality laser tag arena, party rooms and a kitchen and bar.

Eddie Bauer, the Seattle based outdoor-recreational clothing chain, has closed its store at 10323 Pacific Street in the One Pacific Place center. The Eddie Bauer Outlet store at Nebraska Crossing in Gretna is the only surviving location in the state of Nebraska.

Olsson, Applied Underwriters and Lanoha Real Estate Company held a ceremonial ground-breaking yesterday for Olsson’s 4-story, office building in The Row at Heartwood Preserve southwest of 144th & West Dodge Road. Olsson, an engineering and design firm, will house its 300-plus Omaha-area employees in the building when it’s complete in 2026. Additionally, two adjacent buildings — a multi-family residential building and a 4-star hotel — are in the design phase.

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, Mayor Jean Stothert and leaders of the Blackstone Business Improvement District last week announced the Harney Streetscape Plan, a $2.5 million project to upgrade Harney Street through Midtown. Plans call for wider sidewalks, reduced traffic speed, better traffic signals and a reduction from three lanes of traffic to two. The project received a $2 million Federal Community Funding Project grant and requires a $500,000 local match. The project will start and finish in 2027.

Best Burger is closing its north Omaha location inside the Highlander Accelerator, a community food hall at 2112 North 30th Street, next to Big Mama’s Kitchen. Last day will be October 31st. The family-owned restaurant will focus on catering and its food trailer. – Nicole Buntgen

Signage is up for Casa Jalisco, a Mexican bar and grill, at 14242 Fort Street in Standing Bear Plaza near 144th & Fort. The family-owned restaurant is set to open this fall. - Nicole Buntgen

Goodwill Industries, Inc., opened a new retail location last week at 18905 Evans Street. The 15,000 sq. ft. building includes the retail floor, drive-thru donation center, online pick-up and a community training room.

Southwest Airlines is offering a temporary non-stop flight between Omaha’s Eppley Airfield and John Glenn Columbus International Airport just to serve Husker fans traveling to watch the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ football game versus The Ohio State Buckeyes. The non-stop flight will leave Omaha on Friday October 25 and return Sunday, October 27.

Las Chilenas, a coffee shop and bakery, plans to open soon at 8064 South 84th Street in La Vista. The business describes itself as having a “cozy atmosphere, delicious coffee options and a variety of desserts and empanadas that will delight your palate.”

The new Chick-fil-A restaurant at 156th & West Maple Road opens this Thursday. Grahm Talbitzer is the local franchise owner. Located next to Union Pizzeria, Chick-fil-A will be open for dine-in, carry-out and third-party delivery from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The drive-thru will remain open until 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It will be the seventh Chick-fil-A in the Omaha market.

Net Par, an indoor golf simulator and sports bar, has opened at 17809 Cypress Drive in Gretna near 180th & Highway 370. The venue opened its first Nebraska location last December in the Capitol District downtown. – Nicole Buntgen

Barstow Hospitality Partners, owners of ACX Cinema and Backlot Taphouse, have invested in Site-1 Brewing, an awarding-winning brewery and taproom at 2566 Farnam Street. Backlot Taphouse now serves its signature Detroit-Style pizza at Site-1. Barstow Hospitality Partners now operates 56 movie screens and five restaurants in the greater Omaha region area plus Chicago, Milwaukee and Cincinnati.

Omaha-based nonprofit Outlook Nebraska, the state's sole toilet paper manufacturer, is making waves as one of two finalists in the NE Manufacturing Alliance's "Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska" contest. As the largest employer of blind and visually impaired individuals in a seven-state region, the nonprofit produces 25 miles of paper per minute, converting over 1.6 million pounds of 100% recycled fiber each month. – Darcie Dingman Willie

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved an amendment to the tri-party agreement between the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Kiewit Building Group and HDR Architecture regarding the massive Project Health development. The amendment increases some of the contract amounts, and more importantly, allows the parties to move forward to the validation phase. This phase of the project will establish an accurate estimation of the costs and scope. The Board also approved an auditing contract with KPMG for accounting services related to Project Health. Funding for this early phase of Project Health are derived strictly from donations, not allocated state or budgetary funding. – Isaiah Ang

Jams Old Market at 1101 Harney Street is temporarily relocating just to the west to the former Mouth of the South location at 1111 Harney Street. The Jams space will undergo a HVAC renovation. That should be complete in November, at which time, Jams will go back to its normal space.

Good Lookin’ has opened its second location at 16920 Wright Plaza Suite 118 inthe Shops of Legacy. The breakfast-and-lunch café’s original location is in Dundee at 4919 Underwood Avenue. – Nicole Buntgen

Omaha Christian Academy and Lifegate Christian School are joining forces to open a Christian high school in The Emerald Building at 2425 North 108th Street just southwest of Interstate 680 & West Maple Road. The schools also buying an adjoining 20 acres for athletic fields, according to Bill Black of NP Dodge, who represents the school. The new school should be open for the 2025 academic year with about 200 students, eventually growing to 600, staying a class B school.