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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...

Several development projects moved forward at this week’s Council Bluffs City Council meeting. River’s Edge The Council Bluffs City Council this week accepted a proposal from Broadmoor Development for River’s Edge, Block 1. The 1.72-acre parcel is located east of the Pavilion and has remained vacant while surrounding lots have been developed. The city has been trying, unsuccessfully, to land a project that would have an assessment of at least $32 million. This most recent Request for Proposal was the third. Broadmoor’s $24.5 million project was the only proposal. Broadmoor plans to build a 91-unit, 5-story apartment building. The building will have two levels of indoor parking – one underground. Broadmoor has already completed 229 apartment units at River’s Edge, with an additional 48 under construction. Completion is planned for spring 2028. 3000 2nd Avenue Lockwood Development of Omaha is slated to transform a 6.45-acre site on the northeast corner of 30th Street and 2nd Avenue....

Sixteen Omaha and Council Bluffs area artists have been selected to have their creations on permanent display at Omaha Public Library’s new Central Library, currently under construction at 72nd & Dodge Street and scheduled to open in 2026. The artists were chosen from 242 local applicants in an open call for public art, coordinated by Omaha Public Library and Omaha nonprofit Amplify Arts. The selected artists’ planned works include sculpture, photography, mixed media, video and textile work. All 16 artists live in the Omaha metro area: Littleton AlstonCeleste ButlerRichard ChungMari DaileyDana DamewoodKim HagerShelby NeelyPeyton PearsonChristopher PrinzLinda Rivera GarcíaSarah RoweLee Emma RunningShelby SeierAngie SeykoraAshley VakCindy Weil Central Library partners have committed 1 percent of the total building construction costs towards an investment in public art, with the majority of that budget already allotted to local artists through this call for art. The 16 artists...

Colliers Nebraska and Prominence Global, LLC are working on Catalina, a 260-acre, mixed-use development in near Highway 275 & Meigs Street in Valley. Catalina will feature a commercial district with retail and flex buildings along with a residential component with single-family and multi-family construction. In addition, Catalina will include the First Interstate SportsPlex in partnership with the Elkhorn Athletic Association. This 96-acre complex includes soccer, baseball and softball fields including a barrier-free, adaptive sports field. “The partnership between Prominence Global, Elkhorn Athletic Association and the City of Valley enables a rare opportunity to deliver incredible outcomes for our neighbors and generations to come,” said Jeff Moore and Chris Banyay, founders of Prominence Global. “The Highway 275 corridor is expanding rapidly, and Catalina will be the first mixed-use development to benefit those in Valley, West Omaha, Fremont and surrounding communities.”...

The City of Council Bluffs has completed a 10-hole disc golf course in Fairmount Park, located along East Graham Avenue. Nestled in the hills at Lookout Point in Fairmount Park, the course offers players a mix of scenic views and technical challenges, with holes that overlook Council Bluffs and the Omaha skyline. “Fairmount Park’s disc golf course is a unique addition to our outdoor spaces,” said Dan Bettmann, recreation and events manager with Council Bluffs Parks and Recreation. “The hilly, wooded terrain makes it a great spot for both disc golf and hiking.” Set along wooded trails, the course is designed to blend with the park’s natural landscape, creating a more rugged experience than a typical open course. Fairmount Park’s disc golf layout takes players through winding paths, dense trees, and challenging slopes, rewarding both beginner and advanced players with a technical, exciting game. The secluded, rugged terrain provides a variety of shots, requiring precision, accuracy,...

The latest Grow Omaha Construction Update video, produced by Brad Williams, is now available here on our website. Our construction videos are full of footage and information about local developments. For this week’s Big Story, we’re highlighting just some of the projects you’ll see. Here goes…

A couple weeks ago, Grow Omaha reported that portions of Burt Street and 18th Street were on the November Planning Board agenda to accommodate Creighton University’s continued efforts to create better pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure through their campus. During last week’s meeting, Derek Scott of the university’s facilities department presented the anticipated plans for that area. In addition to pedestrian walkways, the street vacation allows Creighton to build new softball and baseball practice fields, as well as a new indoor training facility. These new facilities will also be used by teams visiting Omaha during the annual College World Series. The application shows that the softball field will be located at the southeast corner of Cuming Street and 20th Street. The baseball field and indoor training facilities will be built between Cuming Street and just south of Burt Street between 19th and 17th streets. Automatic Printing and Grace Tabernacle will remain in their current...

The Opus Group announced that it will begin post-tension construction later this month on a new city-of-Omaha-owned parking garage in the EDGE District, the new University of Nebraska Medical Center multi-use district anchored by the Catalyst Building. The site is situated between 48th Street to the west, Saddle Creed Road to the east, Farnam Street to the north and Leavenworth Street to the south. The 7-story structure, located at 4605 Farnam Street, will provide 753 parking stalls, including four electric vehicle charging stations. Koelbel & Company and Omaha-based GreenSlate Development are developing the garage as well as the nearby Catalyst Building. Opus was selected for the project after the successful completion of Storz Warehouse, a 202,000 sq. ft. industrial project adjacent to Eppley Airfield that was also developed by GreenSlate and design-built by Opus. “We value and appreciate the trust GreenSlate has once again shown in us by tapping into our unique design-build...

Hubbell Realty Company has started construction on its first Omaha-area industrial warehouse at 156th & Schram Road. The $25 million, 260,000 sq. ft. building is the first in a Class-A industrial park that will span more than 156 acres and is anticipated to have 10 buildings when complete. Construction on Infinity I is expected to be completed in late summer 2025. In addition to commencing construction, Rotella’s Italian Bakery Inc., a long-time Omaha company plans to occupy more than 100,000 sq. ft. in the building. “We are proud to not only enter into the Omaha industrial market but to be doing so alongside one of the most impactful locally owned and operated businesses in Omaha,” said Matt Weller, vice president of development with Hubbell. “This location offers the ultimate convenience to companies looking ahead to future growth. With nine more buildings planned at Infinity, we’re looking forward to welcoming even more growth opportunities in Sarpy County.” Rotella’s has...