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MidAmerican Energy Adventure Tower & Missouri River Pier Nearing Completion
The MidAmerican Energy Adventure Tower and the Charles E. Lakin Pier are on schedule for completion this June along the Council Bluffs Riverfront. Grow Omaha toured the two structures this week along with Pete Tulipana, president and CEO of Southwest Iowa Nonprofit for Collective Impact (SINC), which is developing the projects, and representatives from Lueder Construction, the general contractor. Omaha-based HDR designed both projects. Construction first began in November 2024. The tower is 138 feet tall and located just north of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. The pier is under construction between Interstate 480 and Harrah’s Casino. The MidAmerican Energy Adventure tower is nestled among Missouri River cottonwood trees on the wet side of the levee. The tower is accessible from the Bob Kerrey bridge via an elevated walkway known as the Treetop Walk. The tower is being built above the flood zone, at the levee system’s elevation, to allow opportunities for use when the Missouri...
NAI NP Dodge Announces Kristi Andersen as President
NAI NP Dodge today announced the appointment of Kristi Andersen as president, effective April 20. NAI NP Dodge is the commercial brokerage division of NP Dodge, Omaha’s largest full-service real estate company. Andersen brings a diverse background to NAI NP Dodge, having served as a top-producing commercial real estate agent, communications consultant and active community leader. She succeeds Deb Graeve-Morrison, who is retiring after 16 years with NP Dodge. Prior to joining NAI NP Dodge, Andersen served as a vice president at both CBRE and Colliers in Omaha. She focuses on leasing and selling office, industrial and retail properties for landlords and tenants. She has represented a wide variety of clients, from small business owners to Fortune 500 companies, and has led millions of dollars in successful real estate transactions. She has also been named a CoStar Power Broker. She will continue to actively represent commercial real estate clients in her role as president. In this role,...
City Council Unanimously Supports Union Omaha Stadium Development
The Omaha City Council unanimously supported the Union Omaha stadium and mixed-use development redevelopment plan in this week’s meeting. After agreeing to delay the vote to approve the Tax Increment Financing application last week, the city council voted 7-0 to approve the plan. Some concerns voiced last week including potential environmental remediation and the city’s purchase of the land before the State of Nebraska’s approval of the turnback tax package were reiterated, but all members have indicated that they fully support the project and believe the economic and community benefits once completed. The developers’, which include Union Omaha’s ownership and Hines, a Houston-based real estate development company, are on a tight timeline for approvals. They are wanting to start construction on the $125 million, 6,500-seat stadium in the fall with an anticipated opening for the 2028 season that spring. While the project hinges on the state’s approval of the $25 million turnback tax...
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First Quarter 2026 Commercial Real Estate Market Remains Strong
NAI NP Dodge, the commercial real estate division of N.P. Dodge, produces a report on Omaha’s commercial real estate market each quarter. Below are some highlights from the first quarter of 2026. Office The 48.5 million sq. ft. Omaha office market ended the 1st quarter of 2026 with a vacancy rate of 7.7 percent, which was up from last quarter. Absorption over the past 12 months was 79,00 sq. ft. Rental rates were down slightly to $25.76. Approximately 1.8 million sq. ft. of office space is under construction at this time, more than last quarter. Retail Approximately 65.3 million sq. ft. of retail space was considered for this report, which is based on CoStar data. At this time, 480,000 sq. ft. of retail space is under construction, which is about the same as last quarter. Vacancy went up to 4.6 percent. Rental rates were $18.72 per square foot. The 12-month net absorption was -66,800 sq. ft. at the end of the quarter, down from the previous period. Industrial Omaha’s industrial...
City Council Considers Tax Increment Financing for Union Omaha Stadium
The Omaha City Council heard public testimony this week on the anticipated Union Omaha stadium Tax Increment Financing application. Following the public hearing, the council was scheduled to vote on the resolution to approve the application for about $49 million in TIF to help finance the more than $300 million project but voted 5-2 in favor of laying over the vote one more week. Several council members wanted additional time to review information regarding the environmental condition of the site and the financial stack that was provided the morning of the city council meeting. Council members voiced concerns about the possible environmental issues, but a full geotechnical drilling cannot be done until the city takes ownership of the property, which is anticipated to occur by the end of the month. Jennifer Taylor, a city attorney, explained that the city has a fairly good idea about the potential environmental concerns based on the city’s experience developing the CHI Health...
Upscale Department Store Could Be Heading to Village Pointe
An upscale department store could be heading to the Village Pointe area, but detailed information is scarce. A building permit was filed late last month, calling for the “demolition of an existing restaurant building” and “Construction of a two-story luxury department store totaling 40,000 sq. ft.” The address provided is 225 North 170th Street, which according to Douglas County public records, is tied to the freestanding retail buildings on the east side of Village Pointe Shopping Center, including the Best Buy, Nordstrom Rack and Bentley buildings plus two restaurant buildings that were previously Kona Grill and Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse. The Johnny’s building is expected to reopen soon as KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot. The Kona building is vacant and listed for lease. Representatives for RED Development, which handles leasing work for Village Pointe, said they had no knowledge of any buildings being demolished nor of any construction plans for a department store. RED sold...
Businesses on Streetcar Route Balance Short-Term Pain with Long-Term Gain
Omaha’s streetcar project is designed to connect key parts of the city and drive long-term economic growth, but as construction continues, business owners and developers say the short-term impacts remain significant. Mike Moylan, president and CEO of Shamrock Development, has been involved with the project since its early stages and said its long-term vision is strong. “I’ve been around the project since its inception and the plan that is in place now is exceptional, because we are connecting two of our biggest economic drivers in the metropolitan area from the med center down to downtown Omaha,” Moylan said. He described the streetcar as more than a transit project, calling it a strategic investment intended to spur development along its route. “This is a transportation corridor to spur economic development,” he said, comparing it to the growth seen along West Dodge Road west of 114th Street. “Look what’s happened along the corridor from 114th to Elkhorn. We have the nicest office...
Omaha Metro Area Continues to Lag in Tech Jobs
The Omaha metro area continues to lag in information and technology jobs. The Aksarben Foundation released a new Nebraska Tech Workforce Dashboard highlighting keys trends in Nebraska. The dashboard was created with the help of the University of Nebraska’s Center for Public Affairs Research. The dashboard provides easy-to-digest, real time data regarding state and local trends affecting the tech workforce and hiring. Data points include demographics, demand, population trends and job growth. According to the data, the metro area, which includes Douglas, Sarpy, Washington and Dodge counties, has experienced a consistent decline in tech-sector jobs, falling from a high of 19,639 in 2017 to 17,391 in 2025. Much of that drop occurred from 2020-2025, with the metro losing nearly 10 percent of tech jobs. This occurred despite the fact that 15 of Nebraska’s top 20 tech employers are based in the Omaha area. According to data collected by the Computing Technology Industry Association, in...
Upscale Build-to-Rent Developments Address Omaha Housing Shortage
Two build-to-rent neighborhoods are changing the way people live in west Omaha while helping alleviate the metro area’s chronic housing shortage. Aerie Blue Sage, located at 204th & Blue Sage Parkway west of Elkhorn South High School, is partly completed and already home to hundreds of residents. Aerie Heartwood Preserve is under construction southwest of 144th & Pacific Street with first units available by this September. Build-to-rent developments are relatively new to Omaha. Instead of a traditional apartment complex, these neighborhoods offer a variety of housing options such as single-family homes, apartment villas, townhomes and cottages. These rental communities offer the privacy associated with single-family houses with the flexibility and maintenance-free lifestyle of traditional apartment living. Construction on Aerie Blue Sage started in the summer of 2024. The first residents moved in more than a year ago, but construction continues on another phase on the...
Omaha Grows by Nearly 1% According to Latest Census Bureau Data
The Omaha metro area grew by nearly 1 percent over the past year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released today. The updated population estimates cover the period from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025. The 8-county Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area grew from a population of 1,000,266 in 2024 to 1,009,836 in 2025. That’s a net gain of 9,570 people and a healthy growth rate of .96 percent. The average growth rate for all U.S. metro areas was only about .5 percent. The nation has 423 metro areas, and each one of them is comprised of counties as determined by the Census Bureau. The feds have declared five counties in Nebraska and three in Iowa comprise the Omaha NE-IA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Here’s a look at how each of those counties grew from 2024 to 2025: Douglas (NE) 606,460 = +.92% annual growth Sarpy (NE) 208,303 = +1.85% annual growth Pottawattamie (IA) 92,996 = -.29% annual Cass (NE) 27,657 = +.57% annual growth Saunders (NE) 23,702 = +1.1% annual growth Washington...
Eppley’s New Terminal Adds Amenities While Reducing Passenger Anxiety
Eppley Airfield’s $950 million terminal expansion and modernization project will increase capacity, but it’s also designed to lower passengers’ anxiety. When the reconstruction project was being designed back in 2019, the Omaha Airport Authority wanted the terminal layout to be “intuitive,” meaning passengers would naturally know where to go even if there wasn’t any wayfinding signage. “Eppley has always been known for its convenience,” said Dave Roth, CEO of the Omaha Airport Authority. “We want this terminal to be crisp, clean and efficient.” Roth said the airport authority doesn’t necessarily want the new terminal to be flashy, rather the goal is for it to be “functional while still looking very classy.” That intuitive and efficient design was obvious during Grow Omaha’s tour of the under-construction terminal this week. Elevators are immediately visible inside the front entrance, TSA security is just steps from the main escalators and departing passengers are separated from...
Omaha Zoo Earns Four #1 Rankings in USA TODAY 10Best Awards
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park have once again earned #1 rankings in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. This year’s recognition includes: Best Zoo – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Fourth consecutive win) Best Zoo Membership – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Second consecutive win) Best Zoo Exhibit – Desert Dome (Seventh consecutive win for Best Zoo Exhibit; third for Desert Dome) Best Safari Park – Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park (Sixth consecutive win) “These honors belong to our entire community,” said Luis Padilla, president and CEO of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and the Lee G Simmons Wildlife Safari Park. “They are an acknowledgement of the work our team does every day connecting people with the animal world and inspiring a better future for all life.” Padilla added, “This national recognition is less about a title and more about elevating the values that we live by every day: the impact of our...
Nebraska Nonprofits Generate $23.1 Billion in Revenue
Nebraska’s nonprofit sector rivals major private industries in economic scale as it employs roughly one in 10 workers statewide and circulates billions of dollars throughout local economies. That’s according to the 2025 Economic Impact of Nonprofits in Nebraska report released by the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands. The report was prepared by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research and sponsored by Nonprofit Association of the Midlands and FNIC. “The report concludes that Nebraska’s nonprofit sector is a powerful and stabilizing force in the state’s economy and community life,” said NAM CEO Anne Hindery. “Nonprofits direct billions of dollars, thousands of jobs and immeasurable contributions toward public benefit to advance missions that neither governments nor markets can fulfill on their own.” Nebraska nonprofits generated $23.1 billion in revenue during 2023 and spent $20 billion, with salaries and wages accounting for 31 percent of total...
Dodge Cares, Inc. Donates $101,850 to Local Nonprofits
NP Dodge’s Dodge Cares, Inc., celebrated a historic $101,850 donation to 15 nonprofit organizations serving eastern Nebraska and western Iowa during a check presentation reception this week. The contribution marks the largest annual giving total in Dodge Care’s 23-year history and brings the foundation’s total contributions to more than $1.1 million since Dodge Cares was established in 2002. Representatives from the local nonprofit organizations gathered alongside NP Dodge agents, employees, and Dodge Cares board members to commemorate the milestone and recognize the organizations making a meaningful difference across the Greater Omaha, Council Bluffs and Lincoln metro areas. “Building up and investing in our communities has always been part of our mission” said Jill Anderson, president of NP Dodge Real Estate. “Reaching a historic milestone during our brokerage’s 170th anniversary year is a powerful reflection of the generosity of our agents and employees and the company to support...
Development Momentum Continues at Millwork Commons
Development activity continues to accelerate at Millwork Commons, the rapidly evolving neighborhood just north of Charles Schwab Field. According to Jeff Slobotski, director of business and ecosystem development for PGSA, several new projects now underway will further expand the area’s residential, hospitality and retail offerings. “There’s a lot of activity going on,” Slobotski said. “The neighborhood itself is built as an area for entrepreneurs, creatives, artists and nonprofits. It’s a community of innovative people and organizations.” One of the most visible projects currently moving forward is a city-owned parking structure planned just east of the Ashton Building. The garage will include approximately 650 parking stalls and about 10,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail space. At the same time, an apartment building called The Frame will rise just west of the Ashton Building. The project will add approximately 150 residential units along with another 10,000 sq. ft. of street-level...
