Grow Omaha
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Union Omaha, in partnership with the City of Omaha, announced an agreement to develop a professional soccer stadium in North Downtown. If approved, groundbreaking could occur in 2026 with completion scheduled prior to the 2028 season. The future stadium will house Union Omaha and a future women’s professional team and will anchor a 20-acre, mixed-use district with retail, dining, housing and green space northeast of 10th & Cuming Street. Hines, a Houston-based real estate developer, would handle the adjacent private development, which would include up to 500 mixed-income residential units and commercial space. The stadium and connected development will lie on a mostly unused site currently owned by Union Pacific directly east of Millwork Commons and north of Abbott Drive. Union Pacific uses part of the site to display specialty trains especially during the Men’s College World Series each June. “This is huge for Omaha,” said Omaha Mayor John Ewing. “The stadium and surrounding...

Union Omaha, in partnership with the City of Omaha, announced an agreement to develop a professional soccer stadium in north downtown Omaha. If approved, groundbreaking would occur in 2026 with completion scheduled prior to the 2028 season.  The new stadium will house Union Omaha and a future women’s professional team and will anchor a 20-acre district with retail, dining, housing and green space. The stadium and connected development will lie on an unused site currently owned by Union Pacific directly east of Millwork Commons and north of Abbott Drive. “This is huge for Omaha,” said Omaha Mayor John Ewing. “The stadium and surrounding district would offer another reason to live, work and play downtown, strengthening our urban core. It will be an engine for jobs, housing, entertainment and urban living. It demonstrates what’s possible when public and private partners share a vision for growth that benefits the entire community.” The Omaha City Council must approve a land purchase...

The latest Grow Omaha Construction Update video, produced by Brad Williams, is now available on our website or by clicking HERE. The video is sponsored by Boyd Jones. 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… Mutual of Omaha Tower The central sheer-tower core is completely topped out. The steel skeleton is nearly topped out and the exterior glass curtain wall is not too far behind. The Broadmoor at Heartwood Preserve This 5-story, 550-unit apartment building is going up southwest of 144th & Blossom Avenue in the 500-acre Heartwood Preserve development west of Boys Town. The site is directly north of Millard North High School. The building is mostly enclosed. This massive building has its own parking garage and sits on a 14-acre lot. Builder’s District Parking Garage In North Downtown, the City of Omaha is building a 4-level parking garage at...

Creighton University recently broke ground on one of the main components of its $300 million “Fly Together” initiative. The university is starting construction on the 50,000 sq. ft. Sports Performance Center. The facility will include a 10,000 sq. ft. strength and conditioning area, a dining hall for athletes and additional spaces for sports medicine, student advising and psychology services. The Sports Performance Center will be completed in 2027. The center will go up just west of The Ruth Scott Training Center, which serves as the practice facility for volleyball and women’s basketball. As part of Fly Together, the Ruth Scott Training Center will receive updates as well. Additional projects that are part of this initiative include a student fitness center, pedestrian throughfare connecting the university campus to the nearby Builders District, upgrades to existing facilities, a softball stadium and a baseball practice facility. The softball stadium is complete. The baseball...

Omaha Public Library’s new Central Library will open to the public on Sunday,  April 19, 2026. Omaha Mayor John W. Ewing, Jr. made the announcement last night at a celebration marking  the completion of construction on the building at 72nd & Dodge Street. Omaha Public Library staff will now spend the next several months moving books, technology, furniture, and staff into the library.  The world-class, 96,000 sq. ft. Central Library is one of the largest investments in a public library system in the United States in recent years. The City of Omaha committed $20 million to the project, and the rest of the $158 million was provided by contributions from local foundations, individual donors and corporations. Counting a mezzanine level and a ground level, the building essentially has five floors.  Library executive director Laura Marlane said staff members are eager for April 19 when they can welcome  people inside.  “This vibrant building - from its architecture to its incredible...

Boys Town announced today it will expand its national research hospital located northeast of 144th and Pacific Street. The healthcare facility will add 254,000 sq. ft. to the current hospital with increased research and clinic space. The addition will consist of two, 4-story wings that will jut out from the southwest and southeast corners of the existing 1-story building. The expanded facility will allow for 131,000 sq. ft. of additional hospital space for acute care, imaging and inpatient rooms as well as 123,000 sq. ft. of dedicated research labs and clinics. Plans also call for an on-site café. “This new addition to the hospital will bring our researchers and practicing physicians closer together under one roof,” said Rod Kempkes, Boys Town CEO.  “This will continue to improve on our quality of care for patients in our community and help us to continue to make strides in pediatric research.” The Boys Town National Research Hospital was founded in 1977. Fundraising efforts were...

Omaha by Design, a local nonprofit that acts as an advocate for outstanding urban design, announced the winners of its annual Laurels Awards on October 30th at Catalyst Omaha in the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s EDGE District. The organization’s signature awards show and annual fundraiser recognized “the people and projects shaping the Greater Omaha metro in inspiring ways.” Omaha by Design’s Advisory Council submits nominations and selects recipients each year. Here are this year’s winners: Access & Mobility Award • Nominees: Beltline Trail, La Vista Active Mobility Plan, Metro Flex, Safe Streets for All• Honoree: Beltline Trail Environment & Open Space Award • Nominees: Adams Park, Caden’s Corner & Walnut Hill Pocket Parks, Lake Cunningham Development Trust, Myott Park• Honoree: Adams Park Neighborhood Revitalization Award • Nominees: Bluestem Prairie, EDGE District, FIRST AVE’s Trail-Oriented Housing Development• Honoree: EDGE District Young Urbanist Award •...

Omaha has plenty of high-profile development projects underway. This week, we are providing a progress report on the some of the biggest, high-value projects that are changing the face of Omaha. CHI Health Center Expansion The CHI Health Convention Center is undergoing a renovation of its existing space while the extension on the east side of the building is under construction. The existing convention center will receive updated wall paneling, acoustical treatments, wainscoting and baseboards. Restrooms will receive updated finishes and toilet partitions. Additionally, operable partitions will be installed in existing meeting and exhibit rooms to increase acoustical performance. The renovations are part of the $200 million expansion of the convention center. The 94,000 sq. ft. expansion is currently under construction with steel beam framing being installed now. The overall project will be complete by summer 2027. Eppley Airfield Progress is moving fast on the Omaha Airport...

Since its formation in 2015, the Omaha Municipal Land Bank has generated an estimated $83.5 million in citywide economic impact as it carried out its mission to transform vacant or abandoned properties into new opportunities. That was a key takeaway from an economic analysis of how the Land Bank has affected property values and tax revenues. The analysis was conducted for the Land Bank’s 10th anniversary, which was celebrated last month at the Love 4 Lots 10-Year Celebration, the organization’s first annual meeting. Over the past decade, the land bank, in partnership with local governments, developers and neighborhood organizations, has acquired more than 1,500 nuisance properties and prepared them for redevelopment, the analysis found. The land bank’s work has supported infill housing, affordable home ownership and site preparation for new community projects. Highlights from the 10-year economic analysis include: ● 1,562 — OMLB properties sold or transferred to a new owner ● $83.5...

The Omaha City Council will be making a huge step toward moving the Tranquility Park Sports Complex forward. During this week’s meeting, the council heard remarks regarding an ordinance to approve a contract with Kiewit Building Group, Inc. The more than $60 million contract encompasses the construction of 12 synthetic turn soccer fields, with $20 million going to a new interceptor sewer line to serve the area. The initial build out will include grading for four additional fields, which would be finished in the future. If approved, Kiewit plans to start earthwork within the following 30 days and has a timeline to complete this phase by Summer 2027. The city is seeking to start the construction as soon as possible to give the developer and investors of the surrounding area enough assurance to move forward on their part of the development. According to the City Council, the developer has a hotel secured, but is waiting for the City to start before moving forward. The Council will vote...

iHeartMedia Omaha announced today that longtime NewsRadio 1110 KFAB personality Gary Sadlemyer is retiring from his regularly hosted morning show and full-time radio, effective Friday, December 12. A 2011 inductee into the Nebraska Broadcasting Association’s Hall of Fame, Sadlemyer started his career at KFAB in Omaha in December of 1976. In his nearly 50-year career with the station, Sadlemyer has anchored “KFAB’s Morning News” for more than three decades, hosted the first live, daily talk show in KFAB’s 100-year history and served several years as the station’s program director. Long-time Husker fans remember Sadlemyer as the color commentator alongside Kent Pavelka during Nebraska football radio broadcasts from 1980 to 1995. “Time sure flies when you’re havin’ fun,” Sadlemyer said. "Since I was a kid growing up in Minnesota, I had a passion for radio. It's just like anything else, kids who dream about being a doctor or whatever; mine was radio." Sadlemyer’s on-air morning partners...

For the first time ever, Omaha’s Eppley Airfield will have an airport lounge. As part of Eppley’s $950 million terminal expansion and modernization project, Escape Lounges plans open inside the airport in 2027. The lounge will be located after security in the new concourse and will open in 2027. The lounge will feature many of the amenities found at airline lounges in major hub airports. Escape Lounges is based in Manchester, United Kingdom, and has 20 locations in the United States along with five in U.K. and two in Australia. The closest existing locations are at airports in Kansas City, Minneapolis, Northwest Arkansas and Tulsa, Okla. All Eppley passengers, regardless of airline or ticket class, will be able to purchase access passes at the door. Select credit card holders or lounge membership program participants may receive complimentary access, including Priority Pass and Dragon Pass. The lounge will offer a premium experience with complimentary food and beverages, a...