Grow Omaha
Stories

Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse opens its doors to the public Friday, May 30th in the former Charleston’s building at 138th & West Dodge Road. It will be the Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant’s fifth location nationwide and its second in the Midwest. Situated in First National Business Park, the newest Terra Gaucha brings an elevated steakhouse experience to the heart of steak country. The Omaha location boasts generous parking, a reimagined modern space and a fully remodeled interior built by Lockwood Development that includes expanded dining accommodations and an open bar concept. “Omaha is a thriving food city with a deep appreciation for great steak and vibrant culture,” said Rodolfo Melo, co-founder of Terra Gaucha. “Terra Gaucha is committed to pampering local residents and tourists with a ‘Gaúcho-style’ welcoming and engaging experience, where fire-roasted premium cuts are carved tableside. Guests can expect top-tier service from the Omaha wait staff led by Managing...

Hubbell Realty Company of West Des Moines, Iowa, has announced The Rye at Harrison, a $20 million apartment and townhome development planned for the northwest corner of 213th & Harrison Street near the Coventry Wood subdivision. The first phase, which will include 99 housing units, is slated to begin later this year and be completed in late 2026. This will include 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units. In total, the project will have two or three phases, and a total of 286 units, both market-rate rental apartments and townhomes, and over 550 parking spaces. The entire project is slated to be complete by 2027. “The Rye presents a unique opportunity to continue the expansion west along Harrison Street in a very desirable area. As we look ahead to the potential expansion at Nebraska Crossing, CONNECT Sarpy and a new children’s hospital and medical center, we believe rental housing of both types will be heavily desired for the workforce coming to this area,” said Matt Weller, vice president of...

The Greater Omaha Chamber and Scott Data, a nonprofit AI solutions provider, announced a strategic new partnership to position Omaha as the premier destination for artificial intelligence innovation and adoption. The partnership is intended to accelerate the adoption of AI by Omaha-area businesses—particularly small and mid-sized companies and startups—through education, technical advising and affordable access to advanced AI computing. “This partnership is a bold step forward in making Omaha the premier destination in the Midwest – and the country – for AI innovation and adoption,” said Heath Mello, president & CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. “We are building Omaha into a city of the future where cutting-edge technology, strategic vision, and momentum blaze a trail for future generations. This announcement sets the tone for what is next for our city and is a clear signal to new-to-market companies and existing businesses alike: if you’re looking to lead in AI, Omaha is where...

Rendering by Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture inCOMMON Community Development celebrated the groundbreaking of The Poppleton Wednesday, an affordable housing development located in the heart of the Park Avenue neighborhood. The project marks the first phase of a 121-unit mixed-income, mixed-use development that will provide help a solution to Omaha’s housing shortage. Like many growing metro areas, Omaha is facing an affordable housing shortage that threatens the well-being of low-income residents. According to the 2021 Housing Affordability in the Omaha and Council Bluffs Area report, there is currently a shortage of 78,800 affordable housing units in the region, with the gap expected to grow to 104,000 units by 2040. Recent redevelopment in the Park Avenue area has led to improvements and attracted middle-income residents, but it has also displaced low-income families. Displacement means losing access to essential services such as transportation, healthcare, schools, and local...

Creighton University will soon break ground on one of the most sweeping projects in its 147-year history. Starting in July, the university will begin work on a campus quadrangle, 251,500 sq. ft. of active green space near 22nd & Burt Street, to be completed in fall 2026. The 5.7-acre, natural-grass area will include an amphitheater, pavilion, stage, fountain plaza, and an ellipse with an art installation. The quadrangle’s construction, estimated to cost $22-to-25 million, will be entirely donor-supported. Designed by OJB Landscape Architecture and constructed by Kiewit Corporation, it will mark the largest physical reshaping of the campus in history. “The quadrangle will be Creighton’s own Central Park, a reimagining of campus green space that will live at the intersection of academic and residential life,” said University President Daniel S. Hendrickson. The quadrangle will be surrounded by four residence halls (Graves, McGloin, Davis and a future residence hall to be completed...

Visitors to The RiverFront will encounter something different this summer: a small house that demonstrates a different way to build and live in Omaha. “ADU at The RiverFront” will showcase a model Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) based on Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture’s award-winning design from AARP Nebraska’s ADU for U competition. Construction on the model ADU began this week at Heartland of America Park’s 8th Street Plaza, where it will be displayed through October. Also known as a backyard cottage, an in-law suite, or a carriage house, an ADU is a small home located on the same property as a larger primary residence. As Omaha faces increasing housing affordability challenges, ADUs are one way that homeowners can create new housing in their own backyard. The City of Omaha recently reformed its zoning rules to allow ADUs in more neighborhoods, and launched ADU Omaha, a web resource featuring ADU plans and a guide to building ADUs in Omaha. ADU at The RiverFront will shine a...

By George Morgan On Saturday, the Oracle of Omaha announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. It was an event everybody knew was going to happen, but no one dared say it out loud. We didn’t know when it would happen or how it would happen, but we knew the appointed hour was getting closer. When the details of this year’s Berkshire annual meeting were revealed, I could smell change in the air. There would be no Charlie to banter with. The traditional format was a morning Q&A, a lunch break followed by an afternoon Q&A. This year, the afternoon Q&A was cancelled. The real peek behind the curtain came when CNBC announced that they would carry the Q&A session LIVE! Back in the day, attendance at the Wood Stock of Capitalism was reserved for special people only. You had to be a Berkshire share holder to attend. Strap hangers need not apply. At the Berkshire meetings of the early 1990s, Buffett began pontificating that Berkshire had attained such a...

A major effort to revamp a stretch of North Saddle Creek Road officially kicks off Monday morning. Omaha City Council president Pete Festersen, Saddle Creek Business Improvement District chair Josh Hannum, Metcalfe-Harrison Neighborhood president Will Meinen, and philanthropic partners will break ground on the $5 million revitalization of the Saddle Creek Neighborhood Business District on Monday, May 5, at 10 a.m. Attendees will toast the project with champagne-on-tap from the Homy Inn and commence construction with partners Olsson, Benesch, and Vrana Construction. The project will increase walkability and pedestrian safety by widening sidewalks, adding a 10-foot pedestrian/bike path on the northside, and improving a dangerous five-way intersection. It will also improve aesthetics and security by adding new landscaping, decorative lighting and close to 100 parking stalls for small businesses. "Reinvesting in our neighborhood business districts is a proven model that attracts small...

By Tom O'Connor Omaha has no bigger supporters than Jeff Beals and Trenton Magid. The dynamic duo has parlayed their talents to create Grow Omaha Media, an enterprise that has successfully navigated the changing media landscape to become one of our community’s leading information sources. For all their efforts to boost pride in our great city, Beals and Magid will be honored by the Omaha Press Club on Thursday, May 22, when they will be enshrined as the 182nd Face on the Barroom Floor. In 2004, Beals and Magid co-founded Grow Omaha Media and started co-hosting the “Grow Omaha” radio show. For the past 19 years, the show has aired from 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays on KFAB-AM (1110). In addition, each weekday at 7:54 a.m., KFAB airs a “Grow Omaha Minute” with the latest updates on the Omaha business scene. Beals and Magid are executive vice presidents at NAI NP Dodge commercial real estate, the nation’s longest-running real estate company. Beals also serves as president of Jeff Beals...

Gamescape by Cinemark, an indoor entertainment attraction, will be the first tenant at The Crossroads, according to a press release from Woodbury Corporation, which is developing former shopping mall at 72nd & Dodge Street. The to-be-constructed building is expected to be about 90,000 sq. ft. Gamescape by Cinemark is "an all-in-one immersive entertainment destination" that includes movie theaters, bowling, an arcade, laser tag, a full-service restaurant and more. Gamescape by Cinemark at The Crossroads will be the company’s only location in Nebraska and is one of the first anywhere. Salt Lake City-based Woodbury Corporation is developing the $850 million Crossroads project with its partner WRK Real Estate. The mixed-use development west of the existing Target store, will include residential, retail and office buildings as well as a public plaza and public parking structures. “We have been excited to share this tenant, and there’s nothing like it in the area,” said Jeff Woodbury,...

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 first quarter of this year. Office The 48.8 million sq. ft. Omaha office market ended the 1st quarter of 2025 with a vacancy rate of 8.0 percent, which was the same as last quarter. Absorption over the past 12 months was -451,000 sq. ft. Rental rates were down slightly to $24.44. Approximately 1.3 million sq. ft. of office space is under construction at this time, a little more than last quarter. Retail More than 66.6 million sq. ft. of retail space was considered for this report, which is based on CoStar data. At this time, 281,000 sq. ft. of retail space is under construction, which is up a bit from last quarter. Vacancy went up to 4.5 percent. Rental rates were $17.67 per square foot. The 12-month net absorption was 539,000 sq. ft. at the end of the quarter, up from the previous period. Industrial Omaha’s...

The Root Coworking, a fast-growing provider of coworking spaces plans to open in North Downtown Omaha. The Tulsa, Oklahoma-based company will open the Omaha location this June. The Root will occupy two floors of the recently constructed mixed-use building at 1501 Mike Fahey Street in the Builders District. This marks The Root’s fourth location and its second outside of Oklahoma. The expansion into Omaha aligns with the company’s mission to foster vibrant, community-focused workspaces in emerging neighborhoods. “We’ve been eyeing Omaha for a while, and when we were introduced to this opportunity in the Builders District, we knew it was the perfect fit,” said Ben Von Drehle, founder & CEO of The Root Coworking. “The neighborhood is growing fast, it’s walkable, it's packed with energy — everything we look for when choosing a new home for our brand, and our members.” The new location, referred to as “The Root - Builders,” is being developed in partnership with Omaha-based Noddle...