Grow Omaha
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The Mutual of Omaha headquarters’ shear tower will top out next month, according to the head of Lanoha, an Omaha-based real estate company developing the city’s newest skyscraper. The shear tower is the central core that acts as the building’s spine. It’s now more than 600 feet tall. Jason Lanoha, president & CEO of Lanoha, was a guest on last Saturday’s Grow Omaha show on News-Radio 1110 KFAB. His company is developing the 44-story office building that will eventually be Mutual of Omaha’s home office. When the building is complete, it will be 677 feet, making it the tallest building in a multi-state region. The $600 million project is rising on the northwest corner of 14th & Farnam Street downtown. Lanoha said everything is on track, and the project should meet its scheduled completion date at the end of 2026. Crews are currently working on the shear tower’s 42nd floor. Though only a couple more floors remain, the building will still add quite a bit of height. The 44th floor...

Open Omaha, a free metro-wide open house celebrating the city’s most fascinating centers of design, history and culture, returns for its fourth year this Saturday – August 9. Hosted by nonprofit Omaha by Design, the event invites the public to step inside the spaces that make our city so dynamic— many of which are not typically open and free to the public. Spanning the metro, this curated showcase is open to all. Launched in 2022, the event has opened doors to more than 140 of the metro’s most unique spaces. Open Omaha 2025 will feature 44 venues across seven neighborhoods, encouraging attendees to discover the variety of venues that are just a walk, ride or roll away from one another. Newly participating venues include Joslyn Art Museum, UNO’s Mallory Kountze Planetarium, Steelhouse Omaha, RailsWest History Museum and Omaha Central High School. Returning venues include Conagra Brands, Joslyn Castle and Gardens, Hardy Coffee Co. Roasting Lab, Squirrel Cage Jail and No More Empty Pots...

Omaha Mayor John Ewing and representatives from Front Porch Investments last week announced a proposed plan for the City of Omaha to enable the use of $40 million in bonds to build and preserve affordable housing in the city’s urban core as soon as 2026, a decade sooner than Tax Increment Financing revenue would be available to support it. An anonymous funder is prepared to purchase $40 million in bonds, which the city would grant to Front Porch Investments to distribute to stimulate affordable housing development and preservation in the urban core. Front Porch Investments, a non-profit that helps connect affordable and workforce housing developers and available public and private funding, will leverage these bond funds as part of the Urban Core Housing and Mobility Redevelopment Plan. “My parents didn't have the ability to purchase their first home until I was 15, so I understand the challenges families face when they’re not able to find stable, affordable housing,” Ewing said. “By...

Union Pacific Corporation and Norfolk Southern Corporation announced an agreement to create America’s first transcontinental railroad. The two railroads will connect more than 50,000 route miles across 43 states from the East Coast to the West Coast, linking approximately 100 ports. “This combination will transform the U.S. supply chain, unleash the industrial strength of American manufacturing, and create new sources of economic growth and workforce opportunity that preserves union jobs,” Union Pacific said in a press release. Under the terms of the agreement, Union Pacific will acquire Norfolk Southern in a stock and cash transaction, implying a value for Norfolk Southern of $320 per share based on Union Pacific’s unaffected closing stock price on July 16, 2025, and representing a 25 percent premium to Norfolk Southern’s 30-trading day volume weighted average price on July 16, 2025. The value per share implies an enterprise value of $85 billion for Norfolk Southern, resulting in...

LinkedIn has released its inaugural report, “Cities on the Rise 2025: The 25 Fastest-Growing U.S. Metros for Jobs and New Talent.” Omaha made the list, coming in at #10. LinkedIn analyzed its labor market data to identify 25 emerging metro areas where hiring is accelerating, job postings are surging and talent migration is reshaping local economies. The top three cities were Grand Rapids, Mich.; Boise, Idaho; and Harrisburg, Pa. In addition to #10 Omaha, other metro areas in our region to make the list were #11 Kansas City; #15 Colorado Springs. Here’s the top 10: 1. Grand Rapids, Mich.2. Boise, Idaho3. Harrisburg, Pa.4. Albany, N.Y.5. Milwaukee6. Portland, Maine7. Myrtle Beach, S.C.8. Hartford, Conn.9. Nashville, Tenn.10. Omaha11. Kansas City12. Wilmington, N.C.13. Richmond, Va.14. Indianapolis15. Colorado Springs16. Sacramento, Calif.17. Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C.18. Austin, Texas19. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.20. Portland, Ore.21. Fayetteville, Ark.22. Reno,...

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...