Grow Omaha
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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 third quarter of this year. Office The 49.4 million sq. ft. Omaha office market ended the 3rd quarter of 2025 with a vacancy rate of 7.7 percent, which was down from last quarter. Absorption over the past 12 months was -162,000 sq. ft. Rental rates were up to $25.42. Approximately 1.6 million sq. ft. of office space is under construction at this time, more than last quarter. Retail Approximately 66 million sq. ft. of retail space was considered for this report, which is based on CoStar data. At this time, 391,000 sq. ft. of retail space is under construction, which is up from last quarter. Vacancy went up to 4.4 percent. Rental rates were $18.35 per square foot. The 12-month net absorption was 251,000 sq. ft. at the end of the quarter, down from the previous period. Industrial Omaha’s industrial sector continues...

Nebraska Medicine will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for its 125,000 sq. ft. Gretna Landing Health Center. Nebraska Medicine is partnering with Noddle Companies on the project, which will open to patients in the second half of 2027. The groundbreaking will take place at 1 p.m. at the construction site near 192nd Street and Lincoln Road.Services at the Nebraska Medicine Gretna Landing Health Center will include: • Primary and Specialty Care• Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine• Imaging technologies• Laboratory services• Urgent Care services• Pharmacy• Procedural spaces "The Nebraska Medicine Gretna Landing Health Center is designed to meet the needs of this growing community, from primary and preventive care to specialized services,” said Dr. Michael Ash, Nebraska Medicine CEO. “This groundbreaking marks a significant step toward our vision of supporting community providers and making high quality academic medicine more accessible and available.” Gretna Landing, located...

Twenty-two artists have completed the “Tracks of Time” mural, creating the longest and largest mural in Council Bluffs. Tracks of Time is painted on the FIRST AVE trail-facing wall of Katelman Steel at 2030 2nd Avenue. Stretching 560 feet, the length of an entire city block, the mural tells the story of steel, from its cosmic origins to its role in shaping industry, railroads and everyday life in the community. The design spans 21 train cars, each painted by a different artist as a mini mural. Together, the works form a timeline that blends art, history and imagination into a public art installation. Tracks of Time was created in partnership with the City of Council Bluffs, The Iowa West Foundation, Katelman Steel Fabrication and A Midsummer’s Mural, led by Richard Harrison, founder of A Midsummer’s Mural. Harrison coordinated the project and mentored the team of artists who brought the vision to life. “First Avenue is an example of how patience, persistence and planning can create...

Lincoln-based Bryan Health, in partnership with Midwest Independent Physicians Private Practice Association, is establishing the Bryan Elkhorn Campus. The 14.6-acre, outpatient healthcare campus will be located on the southwest corner of 204th & West Center Road in the Privada subdivision, according to a Bryan Health press release. Phase One will feature two medical office buildings, totaling approximately 137,000 sq. ft., designed to accommodate a broad range of outpatient healthcare services beginning in the spring of 2027. Services will include primary care, specialty physician practices, diagnostic imaging and additional outpatient offerings. The physicians’ practice will also open and own an Urgent Care Center on the Bryan Elkhorn Campus. “Collaborating with physicians and communities is core to our mission, so a couple of years ago when MIPPA invited us to discuss ways to meet healthcare needs in a rapidly growing part of the Omaha Metro, we listened,” said John Woodrich,...

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents today approved the second design phase for Project Health, a transformational academic health care facility that will be based on the Omaha campus of the University of Nebraska Medical Center and its primary clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine. The project, the first phase of the larger Project NExT initiative, will serve as a state-of-the-art clinical learning center to educate and train future health care providers, conduct cutting-edge research and expand access to clinical trials. “As we look ahead, Project Health will not only transform our medical campus – it will help shape the future of health care for Nebraska,” said NU President Jeffrey P. Gold. “The visible progress already underway is a powerful reminder of the momentum we’ve built – and will continue to build – as we work to deliver on our bold vision for the state.” The regent action authorizes construction of the shell and core of the facility. This work amounts to about...

The Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District is celebrating the completion of Beltline Trail entrance at 1421 Military Avenue. The trailhead ribbon cutting ceremony took place last week. The trailhead helps revive the intersection of Hamilton Street & Military Avenue. The Beltline Trail is located along abandoned railroad right-of-way and has been under construction for several years with additional phases still underway. In the last few months, Grow Omaha has reported several new development projects spurred by the Beltline Trail including a 28-townhome development at 40th & Franklin Street led by Holy Name Housing Corporation, redevelopment of the Johnson Sash and Door building next to the trailhead and a future inCommon Housing Development project north of the trailhead. Last week there was an announcement regarding the Johnson Sash and Door Building. Ooh De Lally is a non-profit restaurant with a special mission of helping previously incarcerated persons transition...

The Greater Omaha Chamber, in partnership with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Bureau of Business Research, released the 2025 “Barometer Report” —an economic scorecard that measures how the Greater Omaha region stacks up against 22 peer and competitor metros in the race for jobs, talent, investment, and long-term prosperity. The “Barometer Report” draws on 50 data points across nine indexes to provide a snapshot view of how Greater Omaha fares against these 22 peer and competitor metros. While Greater Omaha demonstrates real and substantial strengths, the report shows the region’s overall competitiveness ranking in the bottom quarter of metro comparisons. "Results of the 2025 ‘Barometer Report’ show that Greater Omaha fits in well with the mid-sized metropolitan areas of the Industrial Midwest and Plains regions. The Omaha metro is found to have numerous strengths including higher education attainment, labor force participation and the quality of life, but also areas of weakness...

Creighton University announced yesterday "Fly Together," a nearly $300 million initiative to reshape a 12-block corridor on the east side of its campus. The transformative project will merge the campus with the $650 million Builders District, a 10-block urban development anchored by the Kiewit Corporation’s headquarters. Fly Together is an entirely donor-funded project bolstered by a $100 million gift from the Heider Family Foundation, the largest gift in university history.  Fly Together encompasses 11 new or upgraded facilities and outdoor spaces. Included in the plans are a new student fitness center, upgrades to the Rasmussen Fitness & Sports Center, a sports performance center for Creighton student-athletes, improvements to current athletics buildings, new team facilities for baseball and softball, and more improvements to existing space on the campus. The investment is a clear statement from Creighton’s leadership on its ambitions to continue competing at the national level...

The Greater Omaha Chamber has launched a business resiliency fund to support targeted small businesses during streetcar construction. The Midtown Small Business Resiliency Fund will distribute about $1 million, to qualifying businesses that have been most significantly impacted by utilities work to date and will be affected once rail construction begins. Funds for distribution were given to the chamber by a donor for the chamber to distribute. The first distributions started in mid-August and are intended for businesses most severely impacted in the corridor west of Turner Boulevard on Farnam Street. “The Greater Omaha Chamber is proud to launch the Midtown Small Business Resiliency Fund,” said Heath Mello, president & CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. “At the donor’s request, the Chamber will serve as administrator of this fund, which will provide critical support to businesses west of Turner Boulevard along Farnam Street. This fund was created after listening closely to small...

The Spin Lofts development in Council Bluffs has been named the winner of the Iowa Finance Authority’s (IFA) Innovation in Housing Pitch Competition. The recognition paves the way for the project to receive up to $10 million in federal housing tax credits over the next decade. Led by Arch Icon Development Corporation in partnership with Lutheran Family Services, Spin Lofts will transform a long-vacant, city-owned lot into more than 40 mixed-income rental homes, including units for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. “This award demonstrates what can happen when public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic partners come together around a shared vision,” said Courtney Harter, housing programs manager for the City of Council Bluffs. “Spin Lofts has been years in the making, and this recognition validates the hard work and perseverance of everyone involved. Most importantly, it moves us closer to providing quality, affordable housing for the people who need it most.” The...

Brookfield Properties, the owner of Omaha’s Westroads Mall, has officially sold the former Younker’s building to Dillard’s. The sale closed September 5th. Dillard’s plans to completely gut the long-vacant anchor space on the mall’s west end and build a 32,000 sq. ft. addition. After the expansion and renovation, the 2-story department store will total 207,800 sq. ft. A new entry will be included as part of the addition. Because the construction project will be so extensive, the Westroads Dillard’s won’t open until 2027. Dillard’s plans to relocate its Oak View Mall department store into the Westroads space. Dillard’s has a history of using closed stores as clearance centers, but no public announcement has yet been made. As part of the project, the former Granite City Food & Brewery building will likely be demolished to make way for additional parking. “Dillard’s coming in is a game-changer for our mall,” said Ryan Conlon, general manager at Westroads. “They’re a very successful...

Child Saving Institute and Children’s Square U.S.A. have announced a merger that unites two non-profit institutions with a shared history of more 275 years. The merger is expected to expand support for children and families across the Omaha metro area. Child Saving Institute is wrapping up a major expansion of its facility at Saddle Creek Road & Dodge Street. The combined organization will operate under the name Child Saving Institute. Services will remain uninterrupted, and the people and programs that families rely on will continue to walk alongside them—now with even more support behind them, according to a press release. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Children's Square, an organization that shares our commitment to providing the tools to improve the lives of children and families,” said Jaymes Sime, president and CEO of Child Saving Institute. “Together, we will honor our rich legacies and create new opportunities to make a meaningful difference in our communities.”...