Grow Omaha
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The City of Council Bluffs has completed a 10-hole disc golf course in Fairmount Park, located along East Graham Avenue. Nestled in the hills at Lookout Point in Fairmount Park, the course offers players a mix of scenic views and technical challenges, with holes that overlook Council Bluffs and the Omaha skyline. “Fairmount Park’s disc golf course is a unique addition to our outdoor spaces,” said Dan Bettmann, recreation and events manager with Council Bluffs Parks and Recreation. “The hilly, wooded terrain makes it a great spot for both disc golf and hiking.” Set along wooded trails, the course is designed to blend with the park’s natural landscape, creating a more rugged experience than a typical open course. Fairmount Park’s disc golf layout takes players through winding paths, dense trees, and challenging slopes, rewarding both beginner and advanced players with a technical, exciting game. The secluded, rugged terrain provides a variety of shots, requiring precision, accuracy,...

The latest Grow Omaha Construction Update video, produced by Brad Williams, is now available here on our website. 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…

A couple weeks ago, Grow Omaha reported that portions of Burt Street and 18th Street were on the November Planning Board agenda to accommodate Creighton University’s continued efforts to create better pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure through their campus. During last week’s meeting, Derek Scott of the university’s facilities department presented the anticipated plans for that area. In addition to pedestrian walkways, the street vacation allows Creighton to build new softball and baseball practice fields, as well as a new indoor training facility. These new facilities will also be used by teams visiting Omaha during the annual College World Series. The application shows that the softball field will be located at the southeast corner of Cuming Street and 20th Street. The baseball field and indoor training facilities will be built between Cuming Street and just south of Burt Street between 19th and 17th streets. Automatic Printing and Grace Tabernacle will remain in their current...

The Opus Group announced that it will begin post-tension construction later this month on a new city-of-Omaha-owned parking garage in the EDGE District, the new University of Nebraska Medical Center multi-use district anchored by the Catalyst Building. The site is situated between 48th Street to the west, Saddle Creed Road to the east, Farnam Street to the north and Leavenworth Street to the south. The 7-story structure, located at 4605 Farnam Street, will provide 753 parking stalls, including four electric vehicle charging stations. Koelbel & Company and Omaha-based GreenSlate Development are developing the garage as well as the nearby Catalyst Building. Opus was selected for the project after the successful completion of Storz Warehouse, a 202,000 sq. ft. industrial project adjacent to Eppley Airfield that was also developed by GreenSlate and design-built by Opus. “We value and appreciate the trust GreenSlate has once again shown in us by tapping into our unique design-build...

Hubbell Realty Company has started construction on its first Omaha-area industrial warehouse at 156th & Schram Road. The $25 million, 260,000 sq. ft. building is the first in a Class-A industrial park that will span more than 156 acres and is anticipated to have 10 buildings when complete. Construction on Infinity I is expected to be completed in late summer 2025. In addition to commencing construction, Rotella’s Italian Bakery Inc., a long-time Omaha company plans to occupy more than 100,000 sq. ft. in the building. “We are proud to not only enter into the Omaha industrial market but to be doing so alongside one of the most impactful locally owned and operated businesses in Omaha,” said Matt Weller, vice president of development with Hubbell. “This location offers the ultimate convenience to companies looking ahead to future growth. With nine more buildings planned at Infinity, we’re looking forward to welcoming even more growth opportunities in Sarpy County.” Rotella’s has...

University of Nebraska Medical Center leaders broke ground this week on a new, on-campus student housing facility, fulfilling a longstanding request from its biomedical graduate and health profession students. Construction work already has begun on the $66 million, 200,000 sq. ft. residence hall that will accommodate approximately 300 students on the eastern edge of the campus. Occupancy of the 6-story facility, planned for 39th & Dewey Avenue, is expected in August 2026.

The Omaha City Council approved a resolution to authorize the city to use construction-manager-at-risk delivery method for construction of the parking garages at the Crossroads redevelopment project. As highlighted previously, the city entered into an agreement with developers, including Salt Lake City-based Woodbury Corporation, to become part of the development team. As part of the agreement, the city will build and manage parking garages built within the site. The resolution application includes building plans for Phase One of Crossroads. Block B, which is adjacent to Cass Street on the north side of Crossroads, will have a 3-story, 881-stall parking garage and a mixed-used project, consisting of about 40,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail space, with five stories of 220 apartments built on top. Apartment units will include 10 micro studios, 55 studios, 20 micro (1-bedroom) units, 100 1-bedroom units and 35 2-bedroom units, ranging from 455 to 1,220 square feet. Block D is located...

NAI NP Dodge produces a report on Omaha’s commercial real estate market each quarter. Below are some highlights for Q3 of 2024. Omaha’s office, retail and industrial markets remain impressively strong. Office Market The 48.6 million sq. ft. Omaha office market ended the 3rd quarter of 2024 with a vacancy rate of 7.7 percent, which was up from last quarter. Absorption over the past 12 months was -277,000 sq. ft. Rental rates were up to $25.27. Approximately 1.2 million sq. ft. of office space is under construction at this time, a little less than last quarter. Retail Market More than 66 million sq. ft. of retail space was considered for this report, which is based on CoStar data. At this time, 273,000 sq. ft. of retail space is under construction, which is down from last quarter. Vacancy was 4.3 percent, down a little. Rental rates were $17.25 per square foot. The 12-month net absorption was 489,000 sq. ft. at the end of the quarter, up substantially from the previous period....

University of Nebraska Medical Center research continues to grow, with total research expenditures increasing by 8 percent to $217.7 million in fiscal year 2024, the largest total in UNMC’s history. “In the last two years, we’ve seen a big jump in research activity taking place,” said Ken Bayles, vice chancellor for research. “Clinical trials continue to be strong, and basic science research is expanding, bolstered by the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) grant that Dr. Rebekah Gundry received. In addition, Department of Defense-funded research through NSRI continues to grow.” Bayles noted that research funding received from federal agencies reached a new record of $141 million. “Federal awards continue to be the strongest source of funding for our faculty. This indicator shows we’re heading in the right direction.” UNMC estimates that research funding brings about 30 jobs to Nebraska per $1 million in funding, meaning more than 5,000 jobs will be created in Nebraska...

The 712 Initiative and the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce have announced the completion of The Row on First, a set of three newly constructed townhomes located at 99, 101 and 103 South 24th Street in Council Bluffs. This project not only offers modern, eco-friendly housing but also represents the culmination of a significant transformation of the once industrial West Broadway corridor. "The completion of The Row on First marks a proud moment for our community as it’s the first housing project along the new FIRST AVE corridor,” said Chris LaFerla, Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce director. “This project sets the tone for what’s possible in terms of smart growth and revitalization to support the continued development of Council Bluffs.” The vision behind The Row on First took root more than 20 years ago when The 712 Initiative, then known as PCDC, acquired Omaha Standard’s property on West Broadway. The project later expanded with the purchase of four additional...

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has named University of Nebraska Medical Center as one of 10 Regional Centers for Public Health Preparedness and Response across the nation. These regional centers will play an essential role over the next five years in advancing the uptake of evidence-based strategies and interventions across communities, enhancing their ability to prepare for and respond to public health threats, according to the CDC. UNMC will administer the center for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region Seven – Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. The center will work with a coalition of regional partners, including the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Other collaborators will include health departments from across the four states, as well as various rural and tribal partners. The goal is to implement evidence-based practices in public health and emergency preparedness and response, especially in scenarios...

Omaha Children’s Museum is planning to build a new museum in downtown Omaha at 8th & Douglas Street, along the north side of Heartland of America Park at The RiverFront. The Children’s Museum will continue to operate at its current location at 20th & Howard Street during the fundraising for and construction of the new building, with the goal of transitioning to its new home in late 2027. Omaha Children’s Museum has a nearly 50-year legacy of nurturing growth and development in children across the Omaha community - much of it from a building that was originally a car dealership. The development of a new museum would be in partnership with project champions Susan and Mike Lebens and Heritage Omaha, a nonprofit committed to developing impactful philanthropic projects designed to enrich the Omaha community. The goal is to create a dynamic, purpose-built children’s museum full of fun spaces inspired by children and their caregivers, shaped by best practices in early child...