Grow Omaha
News Briefs

California Cafe Expands to Omaha

Con Azúcar Café, a new café located inside Isla Del Mar Restaurante II, will host its soft opening July 27th at 2502 South 133rd Plaza. This is the franchise’s first Nebraska location, with three existing locations in San José, Calif. Con Azúcar describes itself as “a little piece of Mexico in every sip, in every smile and in every shared moment.” – Nicole Buntgen

Omaha Riverfront Earns National Recognition

The Urban Land Institute named Omaha’s Riverfront Revitalization project as one of 10 developments to win a 2024 Americas Award for Excellence. The award recognizes superior developments and considers the entire development process including planning, design, management and economic impact. Other winners from the Midwest include the Bottleworks District in Indianapolis, Lincoln Common in Chicago and Pillars of the Valley in St. Louis. Winners become finalists for ULI’s Global Awards for Excellence. – Isaiah Ang

Simulated Golf Venue Opens in Regency

The Back Nine, an indoor simulated golf venue, will hold a grand opening celebration this Saturday at its new 2,140 sq. ft. space at 10730 Pacific Street in Regency Landing. The Back Nine is open 24-hours-per-day and allows customers to play simulated versions of famous golf courses. The St. George, Utah-based company had 12 previously opened locations in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee and South Carolina. – Grow Omaha staff

Italian Restaurant Plans Second Location

Via Farina, a modern Italian restaurant in Omaha’s Little Italy District, plans to open a second location this fall. The location has not yet been announced. Owned by Maven Social, the restaurant is known for its wood-fired, sourdough Neapolitan-style pizzas. – Nicole Buntgen

Rooftop Bar Opening Soon in Benson

A new rooftop bar is coming soon to Benson. The Tenant will open the first week of August at 6201 Maple Street, across from The Waiting Room. The Asian-inspired smokehouse and bar will also cater, host private parties and offer a signature frozen drink program at its Rooftop Rosé Garden, according to its website. – Nicole Buntgen

Development Plans Near 204th & Dodge

The owner of a 5-acre parcel southeast of 204th & West Dodge Road has plans for future development. According to city planning board and city council documentation, the parcel may be developed into commercial space or multifamily housing. It neighbors the north side of the Extra Storage Space storage facility at 204th & Farnam Street. – Isaiah Ang

Iowa City Bar & Grill Plans to Open in Heartwood Preserve

30hop, a bar and grill with rotating seasonal craft beers, is opening its fourth location – and first in Nebraska – late this year in Heartwood Preserve southwest of 144th & West Dodge Road. 30hop started in Iowa City and has additional locations in Coralville and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. –Grow Omaha staff

Kansas Restaurant Chain Expands to Omaha

HomeGrown, a breakfast-and-lunch eatery featuring locally-sourced dishes, plans to open this fall on first floor of the 15-story Blackstone Plaza building at 36th & Farnam Street. The Wichita, Kansas-based restaurant has 10 existing locations in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Arkansas. – Grow Omaha staff

New App Launches in Omaha

The Too Good To Go app, the world’s largest B2C marketplace for surplus food, was recently launched in Omaha. The app helps reduce food waste by connecting users with discounted surplus food from restaurants and retailers. Current area retailers include Krispy Kreme and Whole Foods in Regency. – Nicole Buntgen

UNMC Named Among Top Medical Schools

U.S. News & World Report has named the University of Nebraska Medical Center a Tier 1 institution for primary care training. In a shift from its former numerical rankings, the magazine now groups medical schools into four tiers. UNMC was one of only 15 institutions in the top tier for primary care training. Those institutions were in the 85th percentile or higher of medical schools ranked. UNMC also was named a Tier 2 institution for research. There are 16 institutions in Tier 1 and 36 in Tier 2, a ranking between the 50th and 84th percentile.

New Addition at Westwood Plaza Restaurant

El Vallarta Mexican Restaurant will begin serving brunch at its 12405 West Center Road in Westwood Plaza within the next three weeks. Other locations include La Vista, Gretna and Blair. No brunch plans have been announced for the restaurant’s other locations. – Nicole Buntgen

Rural Economy Continues to Under Perform

For an 11th straight month, Creighton University’s overall Rural Mainstreet Index sank below growth neutral, according to the July survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy. The region’s overall reading for July sank to 41.3, its lowest reading since November 2023, and down from 41.7 in June. The index ranges between 0 and 100, with a reading of 50.0 representing growth neutral. – Grow Omaha staff

Japanese Restaurant Coming to Blackstone

Koen Japanese BBQ & Sushi will open this fall in Blackstone next to the new Insomnia Cookies at 3863 Farnam Street, according to B Douglas Construction Solutions, which is building out the project. Koen’s existing location is in Lincoln, which opened in 2018.- Nicole Buntgen

Firms Chosen to Design Soccer Stadium

Alliance Sports, owner of Union Omaha, announced the development manager and design team for the future downtown soccer stadium and mixed-use development. Hines, which is also working on the ConAgra campus, will be the development manager. Global architecture and design firm Perkins & Will is partnering with Omaha-based RDG Planning & Design to lead design and planning. The 18-acre development site is along Abbott Drive near the Gallup campus. The new stadium would allow Union Omaha to move up to the USL Championship tier. – Isaiah Ang

Eppley Sees Record 500,000 Passengers in June

For the first time ever, Eppley Airfield saw more than half a million passengers flying through in a single month. The total of 514,758 passengers in June broke the previous record of 487,205 set the month prior in May. The new milestone is also an 8.8 percent increase over June 2023 passenger totals. – Grow Omaha staff

Casino to Open First Phase August 8

WarHorse Casino at Horseman’s Park plans to open Phase One on August 8, subject to final approval of the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. This initial phase includes 900 gaming positions including slot machines, table games and a sportsbook. Phase Two, to be completed in April 2025, will add additional space for 1,200 slot machines and 20 table games, plus a dining area. The $250 million “racino” will host one live horse racing event this year but plans to expand to eight days annually. – Isaiah Ang

OPPD Builds Solar Farm in Saunders County

Omaha Public Power District held a ribbon cutting for its newest power generation facility last week. Platteview Solar consists of 188,000 solar panels on 500 privately owned acres near Yutan. Total capacity is 81 megawatts, enough to power 14,000 homes. It is the largest solar project in Nebraska. This project is just one of several to add 2.5 gigawatts of new generation to OPPD’s capacity. Other projects being completed this year are two new natural gas plants, which will have a combined capacity of 600 megawatts. – Isaiah Ang

Former FNBO Building Is Now a Preschool

Ivy Brook Academy, a half-day preschool, is opening August 12th in former FNBO branch building southeast of 168th & Giles Road. Ivy Brook started in Charlotte, N.C. and now has 60 locations. The closest existing locations are in Rogers, Ark. and in the Denver area. – Grow Omaha Staff

Progress Happening at 84th & L

The former H&H Chevrolet dealership at 84th & L Street has been demolished. Once all the debris is removed, construction can begin on Food Bank for the Heartland’s $37 million, 105,000 sq. ft. new building. H&H recently moved to the Steel Ridge development near Interstate 80 & Highway 370. – Grow Omaha staff

Blue Hawaii Opens at Aksarben

Blue Hawaii, a new sushi restaurant, has officially opened at 1301 South 72nd Street in Aksarben. The locally owned restaurant is a spin-off concept from the owners of Oma’Oma’O Poke & Sushi at 124th & West Dodge Road. – Nicole Buntgen

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Retail Outlet Opens for Auto Detailers

Custom Detail Supply, a division of Custom Dealer Solutions, is opening a new retail store at 14730 Grover Street, just down the street from the company’s warehouse. The company serves professional detailers and Do-It-Yourself enthusiasts. The 1,500 sq. ft. retail space includes an area for videos and detail training. Grand opening is July 20th – Grow Omaha staff

Strong Rental Growth in Multifamily Real Estate Market

Omaha has the 10th highest annual multifamily rent growth among the nation’s major apartment markets, according to CoStar, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate analytics company. As of last month, annual rent in Omaha was up 2.8 percent. While that’s not necessarily good news for renters, it is a sign that the local market is healthy. The highest rent growth occurred in Louisville, Ky. (5.1%). The lowest was in Austin (-5.5%). – Grow Omaha staff

Nordstrom Rack Sets Grand Opening Date

Nordstrom Rack plans to hold a grand opening celebration Thursday, October 24th for its first Nebraska store at Village Pointe Shopping Center in Omaha. The Seattle-based, off-price, department store will open in a 30,000 sq. ft. space formerly occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond at 255 North 170th Street. - Grow Omaha staff

Dunkin’ Donuts Coming to NW Omaha

Dunkin' Donuts will open soon on the northeast corner of 156th & Ida Street. The store will operate in an end-cap space with a drive-thru, which is part of the 22,030 sq. ft. Waterford Crossing retail strip center. Other existing tenants include Big Red Neighborhood Grill & Sports Bar, Bussey Physical Therapy and several others. - Grow Omaha staff

Funny Bone Comedy Club Moving to Miracle Hills

Funny Bone Comedy Club has signed a lease to move into a 16,270 sq. ft. space in Miracle Hills. Funny Bone will be joined in the new space by Draftcade, an arcade bar and restaurant with locations in Kansas City; Toledo, Ohio; and Richmond, Va. Opening is planned for June 2025. Perkins-Critser Construction recently renovated the center, which is northwest of 114th & West Dodge Road. Funny Bone’s Omaha location is currently at Village Pointe. The Ohio-based company operates 15 comedy clubs in eight states. – Grow Omaha staff

Caribbean Restaurant Opens in North Downtown

Elie’s Chinchorro Caribbean Bistro, a family-owned restaurant that closed in February, officially reopened in a new location at 906 North 16th Street near the Omaha Design Center. Grand opening is tomorrow. The restaurant offers authentic Caribbean flavors like mofongo and Tripleta sandwiches. – Nicole Buntgen

City of Omaha to Grant $2 Million to Improve Commercial Districts

The City of Omaha plans to allocate its final $2 million of American Rescue Plan Act money to seven Business Improvement Districts: Benson, Blackstone, Downtown, Dundee, North 24th Street, North Saddle Creek and South Omaha. If approved by the city council next week, the BIDs would use their allotted share of the money to make security and safety improvements such as new lighting, crosswalk bollards and concrete repairs. - Grow Omaha staff

Southside Terrace Redevelopment Breaks Ground

The Southside Terrace public housing redevelopment project at 28th & W Street is underway. The $35 million first phase consists of a 4-story, 92-unit, apartment building, which will replace two, 16-unit buildings. Thirty-nine units will be reserved for previous Southside Terrace residents. The remaining apartments will be a mix of income-restricted and market-rate units. Another six phases are in progress that will add hundreds more mixed-income apartments, in addition to new community, commercial and retail space. - Isaiah Ang

Insomnia Cookies Opens Blackstone Location

Insomnia Cookies has officially opened its second Omaha store at 3863 Farnam Street in the Blackstone Square. Insomnia’s other location is in the Capitol District downtown at 1101 Davenport Street, Suite 120. - Nicole Buntgen

New Tesla Dealership in Council Bluffs

Tesla is relocating its Council Bluffs leasing and service center later this month. It is currently located near Mall of the Bluffs. The new location will be at 2421 Mid-America Drive, west of the Mid-America Center. Tesla will have a grand opening for the new location on July 19th. – Isaiah Ang

New Popcorn Bar in the Old Market

PaC’s Popcorn & Cocktails has officially opened in the Old Market at 1118 Howard Street in place of previous tenant, The Table Coffee Co., which moved three doors to the west (into the former Stokes space). PaC’s specializes in upscale, gourmet popcorn paired with premium cocktails. - Nicole Buntgen

RV Park Planned Along Elkhorn River

The owner of a property on the Elkhorn River’s western edge is moving forward with a long-planned RV park. The 65-acre project is sandwiched between West Dodge Road & River Road Drive and the river. The developer had planned to develop 111 pad sites, but the city had concerns regarding design and operation plans. The developer resubmitted an application to allow camping on agricultural-zoned property, which the planning board approved last week. The developer now plans 67 pad sites and anticipates long-term tenants will lease the sites on a seasonal basis. – Isaiah Ang

National Magazine Honors 5 Omaha Restaurants

Wine Spectator Magazine has recognized five Omaha restaurants for their outstanding wine programs: Spencer’s for Steaks & Chops, V. Mertz, Dynamite Woodfire Grill, 801 Chophouse, and Sullivan’s Steakhouse. – Nicole Buntgen

Omaha Office Market Among the Nation’s Healthiest

Omaha’s office vacancy is only 7.1 percent, according to CoStar, a real estate analytics company. That means Omaha has the fourth-lowest office vacancy rate among the 40 major markets surveyed. Only Albany, N.Y.; the Inland Empire (California); and Providence, R.I. currently have less office vacancy. The markets with the highest office vacancy are San Francisco (21.2%), Houston (17.2%) and Dallas (16.5%). – Grow Omaha staff

Multi-Family Building Planned for 27th & Leavenworth

Clarity Development Company plans to build a 5-story, 194-unit apartment building southeast of 27th & Leavenworth Street. The layout includes 56 studio, 115 one-bedroom and 23 two-bedroom apartments. The planning board this week approved rezoning the site to a transit-oriented designation allowing for reduced parking ratios. The first floor will have 127 indoor parking stalls. An existing building at 810 South 26th Street will house an additional 12 parking stalls. - Isaiah Ang

New Bar Opening in the Old Market

A company called Shammy’s Pub and Grill has registered with the state of Nebraska to establish a restaurant and bar at 414 South 10th Street in the former Gate 10 location (previously known as Stadium Club). The Old Market spot is just west of Embassy Suites. - Nicole Buntgen

Jamba Opens First Nebraska Location

Jamba has opened its first Nebraska location in the former Scarlett Highway space at Nebraska Crossing. Jamba shares the space with Auntie Anne’s which had been in a different bay. Jamba sells fruit and vegetable smoothies, fresh-squeezed juices and some food items. The Atlanta-based chain has 764 stores in 36 states. The closest existing locations are in Minneapolis, Iowa City, Iowa and Wichita, Kan. - Grow Omaha staff

Housing Development Coming to North Omaha

Holy Name Housing Corporation is planning a $3.9 million housing project in north Omaha. Plans call for 13 single-family houses south of Lake Street near John A. Creighton Boulevard. Each house will have three bedrooms and two baths and will be listed for $250,000. The developer is seeking $515,000 in Tax Increment Financing. Construction should start this fall and be complete by May 2025. - Isaiah Ang

Fitness Studio Opening in the Builders District

Fly Fitness plans to open this fall in a recently completed, 4-story building at 1501 Mike Fahey Street in the Builders District downtown. Fly Fitness is headquartered in Lincoln and has five existing locations in Lincoln; Fargo, N.D.; and Loveland, Colo. – Grow Omaha staff

Big Improvements Planned for Midtown Neighborhood

The Saddle Creek Road Streetscape Improvement Project secured funding last week. Mammel Family Foundation and Sherwood Foundation are donating $250,000 and $2 million, respectively. The project consists of new pedestrian-oriented infrastructure, like sidewalks, lighting, landscaping and benches. New parallel parking stalls and bicycle parking will be constructed. The project location is along Saddle Creek Road between 50th and Hamilton streets. Construction should be complete by Summer 2025. - Isaiah Ang

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