Grow Omaha
News Briefs

Cobalt Credit Union plans to build a branch office in Council Bluffs. According to the Planning Commission agenda this week, Cobalt will build at The Marketplace Council Bluffs located on the southeast corner of I-80 & 24th Street. The branch will be built on a vacant lot directly east of a Culver’s restaurant at 3245 South 24th Street. – Isaiah Ang

Talus Spirits & Sustenance will soft-open March 2 at 17205 Evans Street in Whispering Ridge, according to owner Aron Mackevicius. The West Maple corridor restaurant marks the brand’s second location alongside its original Papillion spot. – Nicole Buntgen

Dairy Queen no longer plans to build on the former Paul’s Sinclair gas station site in old Millard. The original plan was to move the Dairy Queen at 5071 South 136th Street to the gas station site at 13205 Millard Avenue just south of 132nd & L Street. The owner has decided to focus on other priorities and will keep the Millard Dairy Queen operating at its current location. The gas station land has been prepped for development and is now listed for sale by NAI NP Dodge.

Fraser Stryker has signed a lease to relocate its offices from the Energy Plaza building at 17th & Harney Street to a 4-story building at 1501 Mike Fahey Street in the Builders District. The law firm has been located in the Energy Plaza for 65 years. The move will take place this year. The 120,000 sq. ft. recently completed North Downtown building is also home to Noddle Companies’ corporate offices, The Root Coworking, Fly Fitness and a yet-to-be-announced sports bar.

Oto HiFi Lounge officially opens today in Aksarben Village. Oto is Omaha’s first hi-fi lounge and cocktail bar and is located in a 1,500 sq. ft., ground-floor space in HDR’s headquarters building. Oto doesn’t serve food, but guests can order small bites from Tiny’s Pizza and Nori nearby. Named after the Japanese word for sound, Oto soft-opened last Thursday. The grand opening starts today at 4 p.m.

Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index dropped below growth neutral February, according to the monthly survey of rural bank CEOs in a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and energy. The overall reading for February fell to 47.9 from 52.0 in January. This marks the 12th time since January 2025 that the index has moved below the growth neutral threshold. A score of 50.0 is neutral.

Because Omaha Public Schools are closed today for a forecasted winter storm, most City of Omaha Parks & Recreation Department community centers will also be closed. Common Ground Recreation and Aquatic Center and Motto Ice Arena will remain open with regular hours. Hanscom Tennis will be closed until 4:00 p.m. A decision on evening hours will be determined later in the day.

The Family Fare Supermarket at 5110 South 108th Street plans to close permanently on March 6th. The store is located in the Empire Park shopping center northwest of 108th & Q Streets. Family Fare has nine other Omaha-Council Bluffs locations.

The former 13th Street Coffee Company space did not stay vacant for long. Brewed Philosophy Café is now open at 519 South 13th Street. The business opened February 14th but still has limited hours as it gets up to speed. Brewed Philosophy Café offers classic coffee/espresso drinks as well as a Latin-inspired menu.

QVOLE, a tequila bar, is taking over the former Beer Can Alley space in the Capitol District downtown. Beer Can Alley closed last month. Interior renovations are now underway inside the second-floor space at 1080 Capitol Avenue. QVOLE is now hiring but no opening date has been announced. The bar’s Facebook page says, “Get ready for high-energy vibes, beautiful aesthetic, premium cocktails and unforgettable nights.”

The Hotel Deco at 1504 Harney Street will become part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, joining 192 other independent boutique hotels in 25 countries. The official change could happen as soon as late March, but Hilton’s website says it will be this June. The 89-room hotel will remain open during the transition. Hotel Deco operates in an 11-story, 96-year-old building that was once known as The Redick Tower.

Millwork Commons will soon welcome another bar-and-restaurant business. According to a building permit, The Academy Bar will be one of the first tenants on the ground floor of the Nova, a mixed-use building on the southeast corner of 12th & Nicholas Street. The Nova will have 74 apartment units and 20,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail, of which The Academy Bar will occupy 4,000 sq. ft. – Isaiah Ang

Midtown Crossing has lost another restaurant. Sea Thai has permanently closed at 3157 Farnam Street. In a Facebook post, the restaurant said the closure was due to ongoing construction in Midtown related to the streetcar. Sea Thai served Thai cuisine and Cajun-style seafood boils.

Americom Networks, a locally based internet service provider, is expanding fiber internet availability to additional apartment communities in the Omaha area. The company specializes in bringing fiber-to-the-unit service in multi-family buildings. Residents in participating properties can access up to 1-gig internet service. The company is working with property owners and management teams to coordinate building access, installation logistics and resident onboarding.

Islands Media ranked the “Midwest’s 5 Best Little Italy Neighborhoods Worth Visiting,” and Omaha’s made the list. The others were in Cleveland, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Chicago. Regarding Little Italy Omaha, Islands said, “Omaha may have one of the least-known Little Italys in the Midwest, but it is surprisingly large, covering about a square mile of Nebraska’s largest city.” The article also featured Omaha’s Stile di Famiglia, a 13-foot-high sculpture of a fork wrapped in pasta at 1115 South 7^th Street.

Construction has started on two quick-serve restaurants on the northwest corner of 204th & Harrison Street in the Coventry Development. Closest to the corner is Hyper Energy Bar. The Iowa-based, drive-thru, beverage chain opened its first Omaha shop near 180th & West Maple Road last year. Just to the north, dirt work is underway on Omaha’s eight Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurant.

Construction is now underway on a new restaurant inside the former Local Beer Patio & Kitchen space at Village Pointe Shopping Center. That’s where Culinary Dropout will open its first Nebraska location. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Culinary Dropout has 15 restaurants in nine states. The closest existing locations are in Denver and Indianapolis. Opening is scheduled for this summer.

The Men’s Health Clinic has opened at 557 North 155th Plaza in Pepperwood Village. The clinic offers testosterone replacement therapy, sexual health treatments, hair loss solutions and medically supervised GLP-1 weight loss therapies. According to a press release, patients receive personalized consultations, clear education about their options and ongoing medical monitoring to ensure safety and results.

Construction will begin soon on The Radio apartment complex northeast of 56th & Kansas Avenue. The 15-acre site was previously home to single-family residence. The Radio will have 210 apartment units designated as affordable housing. It will consist of eight, 3-story apartment buildings and a community building with a pool. – Isaiah Ang

Handmade Heaven, an artisan consignment shop, will relocate to Tiffany Place near the northwest corner of 132nd & West Center Road. The shop will remain open at its current location at 12100 West Center Road in Bel Air Plaza through February 21 before reopening in the new space. – Nicole Buntgen