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The Greater Omaha Chamber has announced a partnership with the Human Resources Association of the Midlands (HRAM) that will transition HRAM’s long-standing IDEAL Awards to a new format: the POWER Awards. “At the Greater Omaha Chamber, we know that building and retaining top talent the right way is essential to our future,” said Heath Mello, president & CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. “We are honored that HRAM has entrusted us with this next chapter in celebrating progress, recognizing leadership, and advancing our community’s culture across the region.” The IDEAL Awards have played a central role in recognizing Omaha-area organizations making meaningful progress in creating inclusive workplace cultures. Now, through collaboration with the chamber, these principles will be elevated and integrated into a broader business framework designed to support long-term workforce excellence. “This milestone represents a meaningful evolution as we proudly entrust the legacy of this award to...

The City of Omaha is making a $100 million commitment to the CHI Health Center expansion project currently underway. The City Council recently approved an amendment to the city’s agreement and lease with Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority, which outlines the City’s obligations to help fund the project. Additionally, private sources will fund $75 million of the project’s cost. The expansion includes a 94,000 sq. ft. addition to the east side of the convention center, which will create 25 more meeting rooms. The amendment also outlines an agreement to perform an analysis of the parking that serves CHI Health Center and Charles Schwab Field. In a previous amendment, the City committed to provide 4,970 MECA-managed parking stalls. However, due to the streetcar, additional parking facilities built in the area and future planned parking facilities, the city and MECA will reconsider how many stalls the city is required to provide. Relatedly, the city and MECA agreed to...

Omaha ranked #3 on CoworkingCafe’s third annual ranking of the "Best U.S. Cities for Work, Life and Mental Health Balance," which analyzed 100 major cities across metrics like work hours, remote flexibility, commute times, healthcare access, affordability, green space and more. The top two cities were both in Minnesota as Minneapolis ranked number one and St. Paul came in second. Nebraska was well represented as both Omaha and Lincoln made the top 10. Here’s the complete list: 1. Minneapolis2. St. Paul, Minn.3. Omaha4. Raleigh, N.C.5. Boise, Idaho6. Lincoln7. Irvine, Calif.8. Chesapeake, Va.9. Lexington, Ky.10. Madison, Wis. Here’s what the CoworkingCafe report had to say about Omaha: Continuing the streak of Midwestern cities, Omaha, NE, takes third spot after an impressive jump from last year’s ninth position. What’s fueling its momentum? A powerful combination of affordability and livability. With a 91.9 cost of living index and a median household income just over $72,700, Omaha...

Tom Mcleay, president of Clarity Development, has transformative plans for the historic Little Bohemia district, located around 13th & William Street just south of downtown. Last week, Mcleay presented his vision for the district to the planning board as they considered and approved two Tax Increment Financing applications related to the project. The first TIF application involves renovation and rehabilitation of four existing commercial buildings, including the former locations of Donut Stop at 1256 South 13th Street, and the Zlata Husa (“Golden Goose”) restaurant that was located in the corner building on the northwest corner of 13th & Williams Street. Additionally, the developer will rehabilitate two buildings at 1316 and 1318 Williams Street. These buildings will boast renovated ground floor commercial space and significant outdoor patio areas for new restaurants and retail. The former Zlata Husa building and the Williams Street buildings will also have renovated second...

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 second quarter of this year. Office The 49 million sq. ft. Omaha office market ended the 1st quarter of 2025 with a vacancy rate of 8.3 percent, which was up from last quarter. Absorption over the past 12 months was -489,000 sq. ft. Rental rates were down to $23.92. Approximately 1.2 million sq. ft. of office space is under construction at this time, a little less 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, 252,000 sq. ft. of retail space is under construction, which is down a bit from last quarter. Vacancy went up to 4.8 percent. Rental rates were $18.36 per square foot. The 12-month net absorption was 326,000 sq. ft. at the end of the quarter, down from the previous period. Industrial Omaha’s industrial...

Lanoha Real Estate Company has signed an agreement with Marriott International, Inc. to develop a 160-room, boutique hotel under Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection brand portfolio. Slated to open in 2027, the hotel will be part of The Row, the mixed-use, lifestyle center serving as the downtown of the larger Heartwood Preserve development. Comprised of hotels that are hand-selected for distinct perspectives on design and hospitality, Autograph Collection Hotels are known for “offering rich immersive moments that leave a lasting imprint on their guests.” Lanoha’s development team is currently collaborating with a handpicked group of designers, architects and operators on the future hotel’s branding, architecture and interior design concepts. “We see a tremendous need for high-quality hospitality offerings in the market, and particularly in west Omaha,” said Jason Lanoha, president and CEO of Lanoha. “This hotel will be a unique place for people to gather for business travel,...

Millard Public Schools Foundation, in partnership with Millard Public Schools, has announced the groundbreaking of the Millard Activity Center, a project designed “to ignite opportunity, inspire excellence and serve as a cornerstone for the entire Millard community.” The 85,000 sq. ft. center will be situated on 40 acres next to Keith Lutz Horizon High School at  5300 George B. Lake Parkway, just a few blocks west of 204th & Q Street. It will be one of the largest community-focused projects in the foundation’s history. Construction begins this summer and is expected to be completed by fall 2026. The facility is being designed by Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture and BCDM Architects. Sampson Construction is the general contractor. “There are so many unique aspects of Millard that make it a special place to call home,” said Dr. John Schwartz, Superintendent of Millard Public Schools. “We have great schools, terrific families and a strong partnership with the Millard Public...

The nonprofit organizations studying the potential of a year-round public market in Omaha have revealed its possible location at The RiverFront. Heritage Omaha, which is collaborating on the project with Project for Public Spaces, announced that philanthropic supporters have secured land at 8th & Farnam Street as the preferred site for a possible year-round, indoor, nonprofit public market. The market could create vibrant community space, support local small businesses and start-ups, and feature fresh, prepared and specialty foods as well as arts, crafts and other local goods. The announcement of the potential market location just south of the skate ribbon at Heartland of America Park came during Wednesday night’s public workshop to gather feedback on the project from community members, where attendees worked together to shape a market concept that feels uniquely ‘Omaha.’ Heritage Omaha President Tina Cherica said the market’s potential location aligns with the project’s goals....

Omaha Public Library has chosen Zen Coffee Company as its official café partner at the future Central Library, set to open next spring on the southwest corner of 72nd & Dodge Street. The café will be located on the east side of the library’s first floor near the indoor playscape and public commons, with a view of the City Garden. Zen at Central Library will offer much of the same experience customers have come to know and love from their other Omaha locations, with a menu that reflects their signature offerings and hospitality. “We want people to feel like they can stay a while,” said Abby McLeay, co-founder of Zen Coffee Company. “Whether you're grabbing a coffee before a book club, sitting in on a workshop, or meeting a friend after a storytime, Zen is here to be part of your day.” A café was one of the most frequently requested amenities in a 2022 community survey about the future Central Library. Zen Coffee Company joins a slate of partners from browsable book stacks on every...

The City of Gretna announced today that Nebraska Medicine will be a major anchor in the Gretna Landing development northwest of 192nd & Highway 370. Nebraska Medicine is partnering with Noddle Companies on a 125,000 sq. ft. health center, which will open to patients in the second half of 2027. Gretna Landing includes a 31-acre, mixed-use project that will include office space and professional services, along with retail spaces, restaurants, fitness and wellness focused retailers and residential units. Noddle Companies envisions Gretna Landing as a destination inspired by Aksarben Village to create a development that meets the needs of the growing community. “Gretna prides itself on community, we value relationships and working together to make a difference. Because of this, not only do we attract citizens with those values, but businesses and organizations as well,” said Mayor Mike Evans. “Visionary developers, like Noddle Companies and world class organizations, like Nebraska...

White Lotus Group and the City of Omaha made some progress on the Civic Auditorium redevelopment project this week. The site is bounded by Capitol Avenue as well as 17th, 19th and Chicago streets. White Lotus Group is an Omaha-based real estate development firm.  The City Council approved a final plat and subdivision agreement. The original auditorium was demolished in 2016. Despite current and previous proposals to develop the property, it remains vacant. Based on public testimony at this week’s City Council meeting, infrastructure work will apparently begin soon. According to Dan Dolezal of Ehrhart Griffin & Associates, sewer infrastructure will start this year and be completed by 2026. Additional infrastructure – such as side-street parking – will be completed with each phase of the project. Arun Agarwal, CEO of White Lotus, emphasized that, despite not seeing much progress since his company took over the project 19 months ago, required planning and approvals are generally on...

CoworkingCafe has named Omaha as the #3 best mid-sized metro area in America where STEM professionals thrive in 2025. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Nationwide, jobs in scientific fields have increased by 31percent, while wages have risen 19 percent over the past five years. CoworkingCafe’s study evaluates large, mid-sized and small cities across nine key metrics to identify where science professionals truly thrive. Analyzing factors like STEM job availability, local STEM establishments, wage trends for science professionals, education levels, affordability and more, the study discovered that Omaha-Council Bluffs ranks #3 among mid-sized metros, scoring 62.73 points. CoworkingCafe called Omaha “a rising powerhouse for science professionals.” When it comes to number of businesses, Omaha ranks 8th among mid-sized metros with 411 STEM-related establishments that provide diverse opportunities across industries from tech to research. Approximately 13.4...