Grow Omaha
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For the past several months, Grow Omaha team members have been saying that Omaha is entering a golden age. There’s good reason for this optimistic statement as the metro area is experiencing record amounts of construction, healthy business growth and accelerated population gains. It’s an exciting time to live, work or visit Omaha. Today, we look back at the major development happenings in the city during calendar year 2024. Eppley Terminal Expansion Back in January, the Omaha Airport Authority released long-anticipated plans to expand and renovate Eppley Airfield’s outdated passenger terminal. The nearly $1 billion plan caused a lot of jaws to drop. The project will nearly double the terminal’s square footage while adding two new gates and an international arrivals hall. Other highlights include a centralized security and ticketing area, one long concourse instead of satellite terminals, and substantially more restaurants and retailers beyond the security checkpoint. Completion is...

The 25th annual Holiday Lights Festival will celebrate its grand finale Tuesday, December 31st with a fireworks spectacular show starting at 7:00 p.m., according to Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority. The fireworks will light up the sky near Heartland of America Park at The RiverFront. There is no set parking or designated viewing area, which means you can enjoy the show from virtually any spot in downtown. Thanks to Park Omaha, parking meters will be free on New Year’s Eve after 5 p.m. Tune into STAR 104.5 The Christmas Station at 7 p.m., either in your car or on your phone. The fireworks are choreographed to a musical score, created just for this event by J&M Displays. Photo credit: Brad Williams

The first year of construction on Eppley Airfield’s $950 million terminal expansion and renovation is nearly in the books. Progress has been substantial. The steel superstructure for the future terminal is already rising, but next year promises to bring even more significant construction. After the winter holiday travel rush ends, the expansion project – known as “Build OMA” – will enter a phase of construction that will create the biggest impact on travelers thus far. In early 2025, Eppley’s terminal will be split into two separate terminals, enabling construction on major parts of the project, including the central pavilion, where the future centralized security checkpoint and terminal concessions will be located. On January 6th, the first phase of the terminal Split will begin with the closure of the central portion of Level 1 in the terminal. During this phase, travelers will still be able to walk between the south and north terminals using Level 2. Travelers can expect updated...

The Light the World Giving Machine, a vending machine that works in reverse, is open at Westroads Mall through December 31. Three machines are located in the Von Maur Court’s lower level. Omaha is one of 106 cities on five continents to host one of these giving machines. The annual initiative is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the time it takes to swipe a credit card, anyone can donate items, such as clothing, food, hygiene products, school supplies and even livestock (goats, pigs, chickens), for those in need. “Giving Machines are customized red vending machines with a twist,” said Rachael Chappell, communication director for the Nebraska Region of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “The Giving Machine is a unique, fun and memorable way to do an instant act of kindness for someone in need, whether they live around the world or down the street.” Local nonprofit organizations that will participate in this year’s Light the World Giving...

The 50 Mile March Foundation has purchased 7 acres of property in Bellevue as part of its effort to establish the Community of Hope campus. The project aims to provide essential resources, shelter and support services to veterans and their families in the Greater Omaha area. The Community of Hope campus represents the Foundation’s commitment serving those who serve for us. The 50 Mile March Foundation’s mission is to empower veterans facing mental health challenges and homelessness by fostering a community of hope and relentless support. Through its signature annual ruck march, the Foundation raises awareness, funds, and resources to support the veteran community in the Omaha metro area. “This is a significant step forward in our mission to end veteran homelessness and increase availability of mental health services in the area,” said Brianne Schuler, executive director of the 50 Mile March Foundation. “We believe the Community of Hope will be a beacon for individuals who need a hand...

The holiday travel period is one of the busiest every year, and Eppley Airfield is preparing for a few busy weeks ahead. Officials at Omaha’s airport expect approximately 277,000 travelers between December 19th and January 6th, a similar level of activity to 2023. Eppley’s four busiest travel days of the holiday season are expected to be Friday, December 20; Monday, December 23; Friday, December 27; and Monday, December 30. To assist passengers in preparing for their travel, Omaha Airport Authority officials recommend you arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to departure to allow for enough time to park,check-in at the airline ticket counter and process through the security checkpoints. Stay up to date with your airline via their website or app. You can keep up with security checkpoint wait times, airport parking availability or reserve your parking at least 12 hours in advance at FlyOMA.com or on Eppley’s mobile app. Keep in mind that the airport is going through a...

Woodbury Corporation, the Salt Lake City company now in charge of developing of the Crossroads site, will officially take ownership tomorrow, December 18th. The closed transaction will allow the first phase of construction to begin this spring. Woodbury became a partner in The Crossorads redevelopment in 2023 and is under contract to purchase the remaining Crossroads property from KJ Ventures. The redesigned development is now estimated to cost $900 million. “We believe this is the best piece of real estate in all of Nebraska,” said Jeff Woodbury, senior vice president of development and acquisitions for Woodbury Corporation. While it might not technically be the busiest intersection in the state (that honor belongs to 90th & Dodge), Woodbury said 72nd & Dodge is the region’s most important “retail intersection.” Woodbury described Omaha as “a city that continually reinvents itself” and also praised the city’s leadership: “Omaha’s commitment to progress and innovation is...

By Isaiah Ang and Jeff Beals Many commercial real estate professionals across the country have downplayed the idea that a substantial number of urban office buildings could be transformed into residential properties. The conventional wisdom is that office buildings are simply too difficult to renovate into apartments, at least in a cost-effective manner. In the era of hybrid schedules and remote workers, that has led some real estate developers in major cities such as New York, Chicago and San Francisco to say, “We are under-demolished.” Well, that is not the case in Omaha, where several office buildings have been or currently are being transformed into highly desirable residential properties. Much of the credit for Omaha’s office-to-residential success goes to NuStyle Development, owned by Todd and Mary Heistand. According to the Omaha World Herald, NuStyle is adding another project to its growing list of downtown properties. NuStyle plans to turn the older First National Bank of...

There’s been a lot of talk about Major League Baseball and Omaha over the past week. That’s because the Wall Street Journal ran an article December 6th titled, “The Major League Baseball Team That Lost Two Stadiums in the Same Hurricane.” That team is the Tampa Bay Rays, which according to the article, might end up playing its 2026 home games at Omaha’s Charles Schwab Field. Earlier this year, Hurricane Milton ravaged Tropicana Field, the aging, indoor stadium that had been the Rays’ long-time home field. The hurricane destroyed the roof and did quite a bit of damage to other parts of the structure. Fixing the stadium would cost tens of millions of dollars and take a lot of time. Normally, that wouldn’t be much of an obstacle, but plans were already in the works for the local government to build a brand-new $1.3 billion stadium. It was supposed to be done in 2028, meaning the Rays were supposed to finish out their Tropicana Field tenure over the next three years and then move into...

The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Ice Rink will open for the skating season Friday, December 6, with a new signature feature and further improvements to the icing system. The visible change is the installation of a canopy over the ice rink, serving as a new decorative centerpiece for the rink, covering it during winter and setting up an even larger shade structure for warmer seasons. The canopy was made possible by the generosity of UNMC supporters Ruth Scott and her late husband, Bill, who also made a previous gift to establish the Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza. The plaza has become a campus gathering place, and the ice rink has become a seasonal attraction for the community and campus. “Ruth and Bill Scott have built our academic campus through their philanthropy,” said Amy Volk, senior vice president for UNMC with the University of Nebraska Foundation. “The Scotts care deeply about UNMC students and the student experience. They made the initial gift to add the...

Lockwood Construction has officially started work on the former Charleston’s restaurant space, paving the way for Terra Gaucha, an acclaimed Brazilian steakhouse. This new Terra Gaucha location marks the restaurant's first venture into the Great Plains region, bringing a churrascaria dining experience to west Omaha. In addition to its traditional steakhouse offerings, the space will feature several enhancements, including an expanded dining area to accommodate private dining, an expansive “wine wall” and open bar concept and extensive exterior updates and landscaping to create a modern look consistent with the restaurant's interior design and other concepts. “We are excited to be working with Terra Gaucha on bringing their first Omaha location to life,” said John Woods, project manager at Lockwood Construction. “This project is not just about updating a space; it's about creating an entirely new experience for the community.” Terra Gaucha is set to open near 138th & West Dodge...

An agreement between the City of Omaha and Omaha Children’s Museum will be reviewed by the city council over the next few sessions. The agreement is attached to an ordinance that the council presented for first hearing yesterday, which means no public comments will be heard at this time. In late October, the Children’s Museum revealed plans to move the museum to a lot sandwiched between the I-480 overpass and Heartland of America Park on the northeast corner of 8th & Douglas Street. The agreement indicates that the museum will be approximately 75,000 sq. ft. The current location at 20th & Howard Street is 60,000 sq. ft. The new location will have a restaurant and event space. Under the agreement, the city will lease the land to the museum for a term of 99 years. The agreement reveals additional details regarding parking. The 4-story parking garage that will be built on the north side of the I-480 overpass will have at least 300 stalls. The surface parking to the east of the...