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Henry Doorly Zoo Opens Grewcock Animal Hospital
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium officially opened the Bill and Berniece Grewcock Animal Hospital, a 32,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art facility designed “to support the depth and complexity of modern zoological medicine,” according to a press release. Located on the northeast side of the Zoo, the new hospital replaces a 30-year-old facility, and equips the Zoo’s animal health and care teams with expanded space and advanced medical technology to provide care for the zoo’s 39,000 animals, from invertebrates to large mammals. The hospital brings together core medical services under one roof, including dedicated spaces for quarantine and hospitalization, intensive care unit wards and an animal diet kitchen. A fully equipped pharmacy and in-house clinical pathology laboratory support rapid diagnostics, while two treatment rooms and a sterile surgical suite support efficient, expert care from routine exams to the most complex medical cases. A major advancement within the facility is...
NAI NP Dodge Commercial Real Estate Report Shows 2025 Market Strength
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 fourth quarter of 2025. Office The 48.5 million sq. ft. Omaha office market ended the 4th quarter of 2025 with a vacancy rate of 7.3 percent, which was down from last quarter. Absorption over the past 12 months was -82,600 sq. ft. Rental rates were up to $25.82. Approximately 1.5 million sq. ft. of office space is under construction at this time, a little less than last quarter. Retail Approximately 65.4 million sq. ft. of retail space was considered for this report, which is based on CoStar data. At this time, 483,000 sq. ft. of retail space is under construction, which is up from last quarter. Vacancy went down to 4.3 percent. Rental rates were $18.68 per square foot. The 12-month net absorption was 197,000 sq. ft. at the end of the quarter, down from the previous period. Industrial Omaha’s industrial sector...
Creighton Names Athletic Facility “The Bill” to Honor Philanthropist
Creighton University’s future athletic facility will be named “The Bill” in honor of the late Bill Scott, longtime donor and friend to the university. The family of Bill and Ruth Scott has made the lead gift to build The Bill, a 50,000 sq. ft. athletics facility for Creighton’s 300-plus student-athletes. Construction of the $65 million building, formerly referred to as the Sports Performance Center, began in the summer of 2025, with an official groundbreaking in November. The facility is expected to be completed in 2027. Located at 20th & Burt Street, The Bill will be immediately west of The Ruth (The Ruth Scott Training Center), the practice space for Creighton volleyball and women’s basketball. Opened in 2019, The Ruth was named in honor of Ruth Scott, Bill Scott’s wife of 73 years before his passing in 2024. The Bill is part of “Fly Together,” a $300 million, donor-funded initiative to reshape Creighton’s 12-block athletic and recreational corridor with 11 new or upgraded...
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Pro Volleyball Organization Plans to Build Gretna Training Facility
League One Volleyball, a Los Angeles-based sports organization launching a professional volleyball league later this year, announced that it will be breaking ground on a new 66,000 sq. ft. training facility in Gretna Landing, a burgeoning retail development near 192nd & Highway 370. With a stronghold in the area through its nationally ranked junior club Premier Nebraska and new professional team LOVB Omaha Volleyball launching in January 2025, LOVB is expanding its presence through this new facility that is designed to support Omaha volleyball players from youth to pro. “Omaha is the center of women’s volleyball and our new five star facility in Gretna Landing embodies our commitment to providing players youth to pro with an unprecedented edge,” said Mike Bufano, president, LOVB Clubs. “As an organization, we are committed to championing athletes through their entire volleyball journey, so we are excited to invest in Omaha athletes of every age through the programs, coaching and...
City Council Approves $862 Million Crossroads Redevelopment Plan
The Omaha City Council formally moved forward with the latest proposal for The Crossroads at 72nd and Dodge Street. Salt Lake City-based Woodbury Corp., the new developer, plans to invest $862 million to convert the site into a massive mixed-use development. As previously presented, the Crossroads project will be built in phases, with Phase 1 consisting of the development of three lots. Lot B on the north side of the overall development site borders Cass Street. A multifamily building and parking garage are planned for Lot B and will be the first to go vertical starting in 2025. South of Lot B is Lot E, which will serve as a town center boasting public space surrounded by retail. The lot west of Lot E, Lot D, will have an unidentified entertainment center. Both Lot D and E will have underground parking. In an effort to have more control over the projection of the development, the City will purchase the land and lease it to the Woodbury. The City will also own the parking garages and...
Upscale Residential Neighborhood Planned for Heartwood Preserve
Applied Underwriters, master developer of the 500-acre Heartwood Preserve mixed-use development, has announced a new upscale neighborhood: The Arbour at Heartwood Preserve. The official groundbreaking takes place late this month. The residential neighborhood will be north of Pacific Street and west of Millard North High School. The project will include row houses, single-family houses and duplexes. When living units are completed, residents will be able to walk to the future Heartwood Row, a street of offices and shops just to the northeast. Residents will also have access to a linear park and green-space area along the western portion of Heartwood Preserve. The Arbour at Heartwood Preserve will feature: Luxury Row Houses – High-end, fully customized brownstone-type living row houses. Buyers can select attached units with either front or urban access garages, and opt to include roof top decks and/or elevators. Single-Family Homes – These houses “offer the convenience of an urban...
Round-Up of Downtown Apartment Projects
Grow Omaha regularly tracks downtown/urban core apartment projects. Here are five of the most recent additions: 15th & Marcy Urban Village is constructing a multi-family project at 1508 Marcy Street. This infill project will be an attractive, 5-level building with 82 apartment units and indoor parking on a previously under-utilized – and generally unnoticed – 35,000 sq. ft. lot on the southern fringe of downtown. Construction has now reached the second floor. Jefferson Place A 4-story residential building is planned for 2226 Howard Street downtown. Workers demolished a single-family house on the site earlier this year. The developer plans to build a 40,000 sq. ft. building with 34 units and 12 parking spaces. The zoning would be CBD-Central Business District which is exempt from off-street parking regulations. The property, known as Jefferson Place, is across the street from The Howard, a recently completed 120-unit, 6-story apartment building, completed by Arch Icon and NuStyle...
Major Additions Planned for Millwork Commons District in North Downtown
The Millwork Commons district in North Downtown is poised to grow even more in the next few years with the addition of a hotel, yet another apartment building and a city-owned parking garage. Millwork Commons is a 50-acre area of North Downtown just north of Charles Schwab Field. It’s home to The Mastercraft, Hot Shops Art Center, Ashton Building and the Hello Apartments. The area is fast becoming a hub for the arts and start-up communities. Several retail and restaurant businesses have recently opened in the neighborhood. Another Millwork Commons project, The Dizzy Mule, is under construction on a block bounded by 12th, 13th, Nicholas and Izard streets. It consists of historic buildings along Izard connected to two new 5-story buildings. In total, Dizzy Mule will have 172 apartment units and 18,000 sq. ft. of retail space. Just to the east of the Dizzy Mule, the City of Omaha this summer approved a developer’s plans for a 5-story, building along the east side of 12th Street between...
New Rankings for Omaha and Nebraska
The City of Omaha and the State of Nebraska frequently score well on national lists. Today we highlight a couple of the most recent rankings. Best Places to Live for Families in 2024 Omaha ranked #38 on Fortune’s third annual list Best Places to Live for Families According to the Fortune’s report, “A great place to live is not one that solely supports a family in the present, but one that will serve them for the long term. With a growing portion of Americans caring for both children and aging parents, more people want to live in cities where multigenerational families can thrive. And as the retirement dream is unraveling for many older adults who don’t want to leave the workforce or can’t afford to, finding a place to live that provides a strong job market has never been more critical.” Fortune analyzed more than 2,000 cities across the country. Those cities at the top of the list scored high on assets like health care, education, affordability and resources for seniors. Regarding...
Video Tour of Local Construction Sites
The latest Grow Omaha Construction Update video, produced by Brad Williams, is now available on our website or by clicking HERE. 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… Apartments Near 71st & Mercy Road Construction has started on 300-stall parking garage that will be connected to a 4-story, 200-unit apartment building on the north side of the garage and south side of Mercy Road. The apartment building and garage will be adjacent to THINK Healthcare and the recently completed Community Alliance building. The Catalyst Building Much of the exterior finishes are now in place on the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Catalyst building, which is a renovated former steel plant west of Saddle Creek Road. It will include co-working space, an event hall, offices, meeting rooms, a fitness center, coffee shop, and even a brewery. Apartments Near...
Permanent Protected Bikeway Planned for Downtown
The temporary Market-to-Midtown Bikeway on Harney Street will close after Labor Day as utility companies begin construction related to the Omaha streetcar, according to the City of Omaha. The bikeway pilot project ended in 2022, but it remained open after a donor offered to pay for operations and maintenance until streetcar construction started. It will close Tuesday, September 3rd. Removal of the bikeway will take about one week. “The initial Market-to-Midtown Bikeway pilot provided important information that we are using now to design and build the permanent, better bikeway,” Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said. The new permanent protected bikeway will utilize both Farnam and Harney streets, connecting across 17th Street. The two-way path will be built on the south side of Farnam from Turner Boulevard to 17th Street, cross 17th Street on the west side of the street, and continue east to 10th Street on the north side of Harney. The bikeway will be on the opposite side of the street from...
Scooter’s Coffee Expands Across Six States
Scooter’s Coffee, LLC, the Omaha-based, drive-thru coffee franchise experiencing rapid growth, has announced plans to open 17 additional coffee kiosks - the result of six franchise agreements signed in July. The drive-thru-only kiosk buildings are 664 sq. ft. The new signings are the latest boost to the Scooter’s Coffee‘s network of more than 800 stores in 30 states as the brand strives to become the #1 drive-thru specialty coffee franchise system in the nation. Below are Scooter’s Coffee’s July expansion agreements: 1. Greensboro, N.C. – 5 new franchises2. Baldwin and Mobile counties in Alabama – 6 new franchises3. Bay St. Louis, Miss. – 1 new franchise4. Commerce, Ga. – 3 new franchises5. Omaha – 1 new franchise at 5005 South 204th Street6. Palatine, Ill. – 1 new franchise According to the latest market trends compiled by the National Coffee Association, 67 percent of Americans drank coffee in the past day — more than any other beverage including water. Seventy-five percent of...
Olsson to Build 4-Story Office Building Near 144th & Dodge
Olsson announced today that it will build a 4-story office building in west Omaha. The engineering and design firm will be the anchor tenant of The Row, part of the 500-acre Heartwood Preserve development near 144th & West Dodge Road. The project is being developed in partnership with Lanoha Real Estate Company. “This building is a testament to Olsson’s long record of growth in Omaha,” said Brian Chaffin, Olsson’s North Central geography leader. “It’s an exciting step forward and a symbol of our commitment to the Omaha community.” The Row will be a national-caliber, 40-acre, mixed-use center featuring Class-A office space, luxury multifamily residential, walkable retail and dining experiences, a full-service hotel, and structured parking. Most of Olsson’s 300-plus Omaha employees are currently based in its Aksarben Village office. The firm has more than 2,000 employees in offices throughout the United States. Olsson expects to move its Omaha workforce into the new office in...
The Duo Goes Before the Planning Board This Week
NuStyle Development, developer of the Central Park Plaza towers redevelopment project, is seeking approval of a $26.45 million Tax Increment Financing application this week from the Omaha Planning Board. The $162 million project will be known as The Duo. Located next to the modern streetcar line, the overall project will bring 707 new apartment units to the downtown market. Both 15-story towers will be redeveloped into multifamily housing with 278 units in the south tower and 279 units in the north tower. The parking garage on 16th Street, formerly known as Parkfair Mall, will be demolished and replaced by a 500-stall parking garage, with 16,000 sq. ft. of commercial space on the first and second floors. NuStyle will build an apartment structure on top of the garage consisting of 150 units. While the City of Omaha will own the parking garage, the apartment structure on top will be owned by the developer. The new mixed-use building, or “West Tower,” appears to be at least 11 stories...
Planned Med Center Building Could Be 400 Feet Tall
The University Nebraska Board of Regents this week will review a request from the University of Nebraska Medical Center to approve spending $50 million of existing philanthropic funds to pay design costs for Phase 1, named “Project Health,” of the UNMC NExT. If approved, UNMC would move forward with designing an estimated $2.19 billion project to replace aging and antiquated medical facilities and add additional needed space to meet modern medical facility standards. UNMC seeks to replace Clarkson Tower as its primary acute care training facility and relieve additional space from Lied Transplant Center, Hixson-Lied Center for Clinical Excellence and others. A cutaway elevation of the hospital shows that it could potentially be an 18-20 story tower. The Omaha World Herald reported that the current estimated height of the building could be around 380 to 400 feet, which would make it the tallest habitable structure outside of downtown Omaha and the city’s fourth-tallest building...
