WE THRIVE

from We Don't Coast 2023

by Omaha World-Herald

WE LIVE

As the Gene Leahy Mall again breathes life into downtown Omaha, an outline of what’s to come for the city’s two remaining downtown parks is beginning to take shape. Visitors to the newly opened Gene Leahy Mall can stand on the eastern edge of the park and watch as construction on Heartland of America Park continues to expand toward the Missouri River. The construction sites are part of a public-private overhaul of Omaha’s downtown parks.

Visitors enjoy a summer evening in downtown’s Gene Leahy Mall.

THE RIVERFRONT

A rendering of the future skate ribbon at the Omaha RiverFront. OJB LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Overhaul of Omaha’s riverfront parks continues as key features take shape

The newly-renovated Gene Leahy Mall in downtown Omaha is the first among several shining stars of Omaha’s downtown riverfront.

Visitors to the newly opened Gene Leahy Mall can stand on the eastern edge of the park — past the children playing, the downtown workers typing away on laptops and ducks splashing in the mall pond — and watch as construction on Heartland of America Park continues to expand toward the Missouri River. With a glance toward the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, visitors can see that work also is underway on the northernmost component of the riverfront, Lewis & Clark Landing. The construction sites are part of a public-private overhaul of Omaha’s downtown parks. In addition to the city’s $50 million contribution to the $400 million, threepark project collectively called The RiverFront, another $10 million from the city likely will be used to expand a trail system along the riverfront. The Leahy Mall reopened during the summer of 2022 with accolades and excitement after a more than three-year overhaul.

Not far from the mall, a pier stretches over the Missouri River just past Omaha’s eastern edge. To the west, the foundation of a skate ribbon rises from the dirt; and to the north, a philanthropically funded science museum overlooks what will become an “urban beach.”

All are features of the ambitious overhaul of Lewis & Clark Landing and Heartland of America Park — final pieces in a private-public renovation of Omaha’s downtown parks. Included in the renovations, the new Lewis & Clark Landing playground will be the largest children’s play area of all three parks and will be four times the size of the playground at Gene Leahy Mall. Closer to the river, an urban beach area will include sand volleyball courts, seating areas and bonfire pits. A short walk to the south, and future visitors will be able to take in the Heartland of America Park skate ribbon.

The skate ribbon will be about the length of a football field and will resemble Chicago’s Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon, a design from which planners of Omaha’s skate ribbon drew inspiration.

A construction worker on a lift as work continues on Heartland of American Park and Lewis & Clark Landing. CHRIS MACHIAN

When it opens, the skate rink will be concrete, accommodating roller skaters. As the weather gets colder around October, the ribbon will open for ice skating. The park also will feature a lakeside amphitheater, bocce courts and Farnam Pier, which will stretch over the Missouri River.

Both parks are on schedule to reopen in late summer 2023.

A $101 million riverfront science center funded by philanthropists called the Kiewit Luminarium will open in April. Among the attractions of the new center will be a “geometric climber,” in which visitors will be able to learn about the art and symmetry of geometry by walking and climbing through a two-story exhibit. Another two-story exhibit space will be devoted to the science of materials. Visitors will explore the weight, strength and other qualities of materials used for construction and other purposes. The state-of-the-art science center is expected to open to the public in the spring of 2023.

Work continues on Heartland of American Park and Lewis & Clark Landing. CHRIS MACHIAN

www.lindsay.com

Mutual to build downtown skyscraper; Omaha to add streetcar system

Downtown Omaha will soon be home to Mutual of Omaha’s stunning new, highrise corporate headquarters and a new midtown streetcar line.

Mutual of Omaha will reshape the downtown skyline with its planned skyscraper headquarters that could become the city’s tallest. An architect’s concept rendering depicts a glassy 40plus story building rising above the block at 14th and Douglas Streets. The tower would sit along the route of a three-mile city streetcar line that would run from the University of Nebraska Medical Center to Omaha’s riverfront.

Those new developments would include not only the new Mutual headquarters but the sizable redevelopment of Mutual’s current midtown campus once the company vacates it to move its 4,000-employee Omaha workforce downtown.

“Mutual of Omaha’s plan to build a new downtown headquarters is the first example of what is possible, and why now is the time,” Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said. “The momentum we have to change our urban core forever is undeniable.”

The plans jointly announced by Stothert and Mutual of Omaha CEO James Blackledge carry the potential to visually and economically transform the landscape of both downtown and midtown Omaha.

The new Mutual tower will be the first significant addition to downtown Omaha’s skyline in almost a generation. The new headquarters will become the city’s tallest building when it opens in 2026, company CEO James Blackledge said. There also may never have been a bigger single infusion of workers into Omaha’s downtown core. And at a time businesses across the nation are crying out for skilled workers, Mutual and the city said the new developments will attract young professionals, talent and other new businesses into Omaha’s urban core.

“It about knocked me off my feet,” Stothert said of the first time she saw an image of Mutual’s new building. “We knew that site was prime real estate, and we knew whatever was going to go there had to be something really great. Because in the future when you see the skyline or picture of Omaha, this is what you’re going to see.”

A view of Mutual of Omaha’s new tower from the new Gene Leahy Mall. PICKARD

CHILTON: LIFANG

A rendering of Mutual of Omaha’s new tower shows a skyscraper that will be Omaha’s tallest building.

BRAD J. WILLIAMS; MUTUAL OF OMAHA

Plans call for construction to begin on both projects in 2023, with both open and functioning by 2026. While the two proposals are not technically linked, Blackledge said the city’s commitment to a modern streetcar line was critical to the decision of the Fortune 500 company to locate in the heart of downtown.

In September 2022, the Omaha Streetcar Authority voted to approve a streetcar route concept that, according to a map outline, would see streetcars run east along Harney Street and then turn north along 10th Street up to about Cass Street near the CHI Health Center. The streetcars then would head back south on 10th to Capitol Avenue. From there, the route would run a couple of blocks east to Eighth Street near the city’s riverfront before turning west onto Farnam Street. The cars then would travel to the route’s western terminus at 42nd Street near the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

As proposed, the streetcar system would have 6.16 miles of track, but a round trip would be about 3.1 miles. City documents show that it would take about 30 minutes for a streetcar to complete the route.

Jay Noddle, president of the Streetcar Authority, said the approved route would minimize traffic congestion by diverting southbound streetcars east to Eighth Street. Noddle said the streetcar project is on track to be operational in 2026. He added that cost estimates will be updated in a few months when a contractor is hired and more design work is completed. Noddle said authority board members will begin to think through the right-ofway design, especially as it pertains to pedestrians, bicyclists, loading docks and other transportation issues. Noddle

This rendition shows the impact that Mutual of Omaha’s new headquarters will have on the city skyline.

PICKARD CHILTON: LIFANG

said the board’s action to approve the route was necessary so the design team from HDR could begin to focus on specific areas. “It’s very much a beginning,” he said. Not only does Mutual value having its new headquarters on the line, he said, the streetcar system brings enhanced financial value to the redevelopment of its current campus. Not only does that assure the midtown area will be viable without Mutual’s workforce, he said, it helps make possible the downtown skyscraper that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build.

Mutual’s new headquarters will arguably be the first major addition to the downtown Omaha skyline since Union Pacific announced its headquarters building in 2001, which opened in 2004. First National Tower, which at 45 stories is the city’s tallest building, was announced in 1998 and opened in 2002. Blackledge said the exact number of floors won’t be known until Mutual completes an ongoing study of its space needs in a post-pandemic world, when it’s believed many workers will continue to work remotely or in hybrid ways. But given the size of Mutual’s current campus and Omaha workforce, he said, he believes the new building will be on the scale of the First National Tower or taller.

Just what takes shape in the redevelopment of Mutual’s current midtown campus will be up to the developer, though Mutual officials say they foresee the possibility of housing, corporate offices and retail, either in existing buildings or new ones. In addition to its campus, Mutual developed the neighboring Midtown Crossing complex and owns land between Turner Park and Interstate 480 that is primed for development. Blackledge said the tower is the chance to create an inspiring workplace for Mutual’s workers while contributing to making downtown Omaha vital. He said he’s excited that the new building will face Omaha’s new downtown and riverfront park redevelopment. “We are inspired by the energy in downtown Omaha,” he said, “and recognize the importance of a vibrant urban core for the city’s future.”

Chamber eyes ‘big moves’ to transform Omaha’s urban core

Under the chamber’s vision, north downtown would see much more dense development, and the elevated I-480 would be taken down to street level.

HDR/GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER

If you think Omaha’s plans for a streetcar system and a downtown skyscraper were ambitious, wait until you hear what else local business leaders are dreaming about. The streetcar line and Mutual of Omaha’s tower are just the beginning of business leaders’ ideas for breathing more life into Omaha’s urban core — what they call the region’s heart and soul and engine for economic growth. In the Greater Omaha Chamber’s vision for the next 20 years, numerous other new high rises and dense construction would pull 30,000 more workers and 30,000 added residents into the area stretching from midtown Omaha through downtown and to the river’s edge in Council Bluffs.

Imagine the aging gray elevated Interstate 480 freeway, which forms a northern barrier for downtown, being razed in favor of a slower, street-level boulevard lined by new housing, offices, restaurants and shops. Just to the west, a unique two blockwide, landscaped “lid” built over another part of I-480 would create a public space that connects burgeoning west downtown into thriving midtown. A similar lid would span Saddle Creek Road south of Farnam, bridging cuttingedge new facilities at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

To the east, a golf course across the Missouri River in Iowa would take on new life as a bustling housing and business development on the scale of Aksarben Village, all just minutes away from downtown Omaha via a new pedestrian bridge and streetcar spur line. Other streetcar lines and transportation improvements would connect downtown into North and South Omaha and help move workers and fun-seekers from all over the metro area into and around the revitalized core.

Chamber leaders say there’s an urgent goal behind the “Urban Core Strategic Plan”. They say achieving the plan’s vision is vital if the region is to attract and compete for the workers who will drive economic growth here for decades to come.

“This is the next really big step, and we know it’s mission-critical for the long-term viability of our community,” said Jay Noddle, an Omaha developer who chaired the chamber’s urban core committee. “We want our region to be a first-choice community for talent and employers. And in order to get there, we have to have an extremely vibrant, appealing urban core.” There’s no price tag for all the bold ideas in the chamber plan, which would cost billions of dollars.

But chamber officials say each would be accomplished much like past development in and around downtown: through billions in privatesector investment, with the city assisting on related infrastructure

improvements and philanthropists backing public amenities that enhance the city’s quality of life. The city is committed to its role in that partnership, said Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert. She stressed that the strategic plan is equal parts practical and aspirational, and some parts of the plan are higher priorities than others. Before moving forward on the I-480 lid, for example, she said the city would first focus on the transportation improvements, assuring available affordable housing and infrastructure. “Our role in implementing actions in the plan is to be a good partner,” Stothert said. “Nearly everything we’ve accomplished as a city is a result of these strong partnerships we have.” Hundreds of thousands of people in the Omaha metro will continue to live and work in the suburbs. Chamber officials say Omaha needs to be a place that features diverse and affordable housing options to fit all needs and tastes, from acreages to suburban apartments to downtown condos.

This rendition of downtown Omaha includes many familiar buildings as well as a number of envisioned ones. The Greater Omaha Chamber’s 20-year vision for downtown includes much denser

development. HDR/GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER

But even people who live in the suburbs far from the core should support the vision if they enjoy sports, the arts, music, good food, or if they want Omaha to be a place where their kids and grandkids would choose to work and live and start a family. Chamber officials say taxpayers across the state also will see the benefits of a stronger Omaha central core. Business leaders say they’re confident of achieving the plan’s broad vision of affirming the urban core’s place as the region’s premier hub for employment,

How that same view would look with an I-480 “lid,” a two-block wide landscaped public space over the freeway that would serve as a bridge between west downtown and midtown. HDR/GREATER entertainment and culture. One thing that gives them that confidence, Noddle said, is how some of the first dominoes have already begun falling into place. Some $400 million in philanthropic dollars is funding a major overhaul of the downtown park system and a new science center, amenities that figure to lure thousands to Omaha’s riverfront.

Mutual of Omaha is set by 2026 to remake Omaha’s skyline with a towering new headquarters that will root the Fortune 500 company’s 4,000 workers in the heart of the downtown corporate district.

Private investors behind developments like the Capitol District, Mercantile District, Blackstone, Builders District and Millwork Commons are bringing hundreds of residential units, offices, shops and restaurants to the core. UNMC is set to invest $2.6 billion in Project NExT, a national center for disaster preparedness that could employ thousands. And all those vital assets will be linked by the modern streetcar system that Stothert threw her support behind early in 2022.

OMAHA CHAMBER

An bird’s-eye conception of what a more dense downtown might look like under the Omaha chamber’s 20-year vision. HDR/GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER

The face of Omaha’s inner core appears set to change, with a new commitment to bringing back workers and improved public transit

“It’s a little bit of back to the future,” said Mickey Anderson, president of Baxter Auto Group and the chairman of the Omaha chamber. “We know that a vibrant downtown is critical to attracting young people to our community.” Indeed, the proposed changes are largely being driven by a new generation, one that’s proving very different from the earlier generations who first took America to the suburbs. For years now, economic development consultants have said creating a vibrant urban lifestyle is particularly critical if cities are to compete for the tech-savvy, creative millennials — young people whose talents are fueling much of the job creation and job growth around the country today. The millennial generation — those born between 1981 and 1996 — are now the largest generation in the U.S. workforce, surpassing the baby boomers. And by 2025, they are projected to make up 75% of workers globally. Millennials have proven markedly different when it comes to where they seek to live, many looking for urban landscapes that are engaging, aesthetically pleasing, diverse, open and walkable. And they don’t necessarily want to own a car.

The generation after the millennials, often called Generation Z or the zoomers, is proving equally focused on urban living. More businesses also are moving into America’s urban core, seeking to go where the workers they need are choosing to live. When the chamber in 2015 conducted a survey of young Omaha professionals, they described what they were looking for in a city: a larger city that has a more dynamic, dense urban environment downtown. Somewhere where they could walk to their favorite restaurant or maybe walk to work or take mass transit, and reduce personal vehicle usage. The chamber realized it needed to become more aggressive in attracting young talent. In 2017, it made enhancing Omaha’s urban core a focus of its new 20year strategic plan. And that ultimately led to the February 2018 formation of the chamber’s urban core committee.

The committee was made up of representatives from the chamber, the city, UNMC, major downtown corporations, developers and charitable foundations. The committee in turn sought input from dozens of other stakeholders before coming up with its final report. The urban core is one place Omaha can keep growing. The report defines Omaha’s urban core as generally bounded by Cuming Street on the north, Leavenworth on the south, 48th Street on the west and 35th Street in Council Bluffs, including Dodge Park Golf Course and the River’s Edge development on the east end of the Bob Kerrey pedestrian bridge. The urban core, the report says, can’t be a “slightly more dense version of suburbia.” Instead of four- and five-story buildings surrounded by acres of parking, Omaha needs more 20-story office towers and 10-story residential buildings, all with shared parking and proximity to transit, the report says. The report includes renderings of downtown featuring multiple new highrises and other clusters of buildings. Most of those structures at this point are just conceptual, with no definite redevelopment plans yet on the books. The plan also seeks to sharply reduce the amount of space devoted to parking. Businesses and attractions would be grouped in districts and utilize shared parking structures, with visitors able to “park once” and move around the district on foot. It’s similar to the parking concept currently in use at Aksarben Village. Such parking changes would in turn free up more land for more redevelopment. Among the key components of the plan are what some chamber leaders are calling the “11 bold moves” — each a step that uniquely contributes to the drive for a more dense urban core.

Some of those big moves have already been announced, such as the downtown library block redevelopment where Mutual’s new tower is going up, the streetcar system and Project NExT. But others are new, and several are focused on reclaiming land to provide for dense redevelopment. The plan envisions eliminating the 20th Street exit from I-480 and reconfiguring the exit at 30th Street. Each move would free up several blocks of downtown land. More land would be reclaimed, and a barrier to growth would be eliminated, by taking down the elevated I-480 that runs through north downtown from Creighton University to the CHI Health Center Omaha and replacing it with a street-level throughway. Chamber officials say the time to make such a move would be some future date when the current structures have exhausted their useful life and are in need of replacement. Two of the big moves would involve redeveloping the Dodge Park golf course, set right across the river downtown, and then connecting it into Omaha with a pedestrian bridge and streetcar spur. The new neighborhood created would seamlessly become part of downtown,

A view of what Omaha’s planned streetcar might look like as it travels through town.

HDR/GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER

The Greater Omaha Chamber’s 20-year vision for the city’s urban core emphasizes dense development, including new high-rise buildings. HDR/GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER

as well as offer some of the best views anywhere of the downtown skyline. Chamber officials said that project alone — which Council Bluffs officials seem eagerly committed to — would provide a sizable chunk of the housing needed to bring more people into the core. Other big moves include the two lids — essentially wide bridges featuring public green space that connect two areas separated by a physical barrier like a freeway. The lids east of Midtown crossing and at UNMC would be modeled after Clyde Warren Park, a lid that goes over a freeway in Dallas. It’s not listed among the big moves, but the block occupied by the State Office Building at 13th and Farnam, the former Peter Kiewit Conference Center, is also mentioned as a potential downtown redevelopment site. The transportation improvements proposed by the chamber are critical to the plan’s success, with the planned streetcar system a vital element. The streetcar has long been a particular focus of the chamber’s core committee, seen as a critical catalyst for urban core investment and the public transportation link that ties it all together. In addition to the three-mile streetcar route already planned between the riverfront and UNMC, streetcar extensions are contemplated into both North Omaha and South Omaha. Such lines would provide more equitable access to jobs within the urban core for Black and Hispanic Omahans. The plan also calls for more rapid bus transit within the city, noting Metro Transit is already planning north and south extensions of its Dodge Street ORBT line. “One of the pieces that really caught my attention were steps to make the central business district more accessible south and north, so that we become a more inclusive downtown community and provide opportunity on the entire eastern part of the city,” said Baxter’s Anderson. “There’s a lot of synergy in connecting the community in a more meaningful and intentional way.” Further into the future, as the urban core builds momentum, the plan says additional modes of transportation could become necessary. Those could include light rail systems connecting suburban neighborhoods into the core and commuter rail lines to Lincoln or other bedroom communities like Fremont.

The plan calls for more conversions of one-way streets in downtown to accommodate two-way traffic, with Leavenworth, Harney, 13th, 14th, 19th and 20th all considered candidates. Additional biker-friendly amenities are also contemplated, including additional bike lanes, trails and bridges. The report notes that the combination of the current Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and the proposed streetcar/pedestrian bridge to the Dodge Park development would create a two-mile recreational loop trail on both sides of the river.

The overall goal, the report says, would be a transportation plan that balances the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, public transportation and personal vehicles. Stothert said affordable housing is also important to her, along with transportation enhancements improving North and South Omaha’s access to the urban core.

There’s no denying there is much momentum in the urban core. And Stothert also believes Omaha’s strong philanthropic sector gives the city an advantage in taking on major public projects, much like the current downtown parks makeover. She shares the belief that a stronger core benefits everyone in Omaha. “We have a plan for a healthy downtown and a vibrant downtown to bring in businesses and residents and young professionals,” she said. “That helps all of Omaha to be a healthy city.”

WOMEN LEADERS IN OMAHA

VETA JEFFERY, THE NEW HEAD OF GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER, PLANS TO WORK TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE IN CITY

Veta Jeffery, the new CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber, said she sees great potential for Omaha to become an even better place for workers, businesses and families.

She was attracted to Omaha by the proven ability of the city’s civic and corporate sectors to work together to move the city forward. She wants to continue that.

“I think the clincher for me was seeing how well the public and private partnerships are developed and how much has been able to be accomplished,” the St. Louis native said in April of 2022 after being introduced as the new chamber leader. “It’s a big deal.” Jeffery brings to the job the unique experience of helping rebuild Ferguson, Missouri, after civil unrest sparked in 2014 by the police shooting in Ferguson of an unarmed 18-year-old Black man. Jeffery’s hiring came at a critical time in the city’s history and development. The city is in the process of remaking its downtown and urban core in an effort to attract more young workers. And the state has just appropriated more than $300 million that’s targeted for redevelopment of underserved communities, particularly North and South Omaha.

The hiring of an African American woman to lead the chamber shows how Omaha embraces diversity and inclusion to attract and retain the workers needed to spur future growth. While Jeffery’s hiring could be viewed as an example of business leaders’ commitment to diversity, chamber officials also made it clear Jeffery was simply the best person for the job. “Our committee was 100% unanimous that Veta was the right choice,” said Mogens Bay, the retired CEO of Valmont. “She stood out from the other candidates, and we found her to be very thoughtful, very committed and just impressive during every step of the search process.” Jeffery grew up in St. Louis before earning a degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She then embarked on a career in banking, rising through the ranks to senior vice president of community and economic development for Midwest BankCentre in St. Louis.

Then, following the Ferguson protests and unrest in 2014, she was appointed by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon as manager of the Office of Community Economic Development for the state. In that position, she brought together public and private stakeholders to rebuild the business community in Ferguson and throughout the St. Louis region. Jeffery also helped establish workforce development programs to assist underserved communities and helped form a state program that provided internships for disadvantaged college students in Missouri. Jeffery also served as chief diversity officer for St. Louis County. In that position, she helped coordinate the spending of the county’s federal COVID-19 recovery dollars.

And through her work in Ferguson, she proved her ability to bring together people with disparate interests in a way that productively moved the community forward.

Jeffery said she will work to make Omaha a place where young people will want to stay, as well as to make sure that Omaha’s businesses are well cared for and can thrive and grow for generations to come. She noted Forbes magazine already ranks Omaha among the nation’s great places to raise a family. “Families want to be part of something that they feel is growing and thriving,” she said. “Omaha has all of the right combination of ingredients to continue that.”

Families want to be part of something that they feel is growing “ and thriving. Omaha has all of the right combination of ingredients to continue that. ”

— Veta Jeffery Veta Jeffery, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER

MEET REBECCA DETERDING, THE FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE YMCA OF GREATER OMAHA

YMCA of Greater Omaha President and CEO Rebecca Deterding is the first woman to lead the organization in its 154-year history. Deterding previously served as the Omaha organization’s chief financial officer. Officials said she brings a background of finance, strategic planning and leadership development to the organization. She holds a degree in business accounting from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and a master’s degree in business administration from Bellevue University. Before joining the YMCA, she worked for a technology company where she served in several positions, including operations, sales and marketing and chief financial officer.

YMCA of Greater Omaha President and CEO Rebecca Deterding. YMCA OF GREATER OMAHA

As president and CEO, she oversees 10 metro-area locations, five early learning centers and three youth achievement sites. “As we continue to recover from the impact of the last two years, I remain excited and hopeful for what the future will bring and look forward to setting that strategic vision with our dedicated staff and volunteers,” she said in a statement. “I am honored to serve in a place that I call home in such a meaningful way.”

MEET AVA THOMAS, PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE OMAHA WORLD-HERALD

Ava Thomas, the president and publisher of the Omaha World-Herald has been promoted to a group president position within Lee Enterprises, parent company of the Omaha World-Herald, Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, Bellevue Leader, Papillion Times and Gretna Breeze. As a Nebraska native, Thomas said she has always admired The World-Herald’s commitment to Omaha and the state. She joined Lee Enterprises in 1995 and held Ava Thomas, president several leadership positions at the Lincoln of the Omaha WorldJournal Star, including advertising director Herald. LEE ENTERPRISES and general manager, before being named publisher in 2014. “The Journal Star and World-Herald have always had a unique blend of competition and collaboration that has benefited the readers, businesses and communities we serve,” Thomas said. “I want to continue to foster that.”

Thomas was also named a senior corporate sales executive by Lee in 2015. She was named OWH publisher and CEO in 2021. “Time and time again, Ava has succeeded in key leadership roles within our company,” said Nathan Bekke, Lee’s operating vice president and vice president-consumer sales and marketing. “She has consistently demonstrated that she has the talent, energy and experience to lead our digital media organizations at a very high level, and I know that our properties in Omaha, Lincoln, the rest of Nebraska and Iowa are in great hands.” Lee Enterprises’ publications serve 77 markets in 26 states.

MEET CHANDA CHACÓN, THE PRESIDENT & CEO OF OMAHA’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Children’s Hospital & Medical Center President and CEO Chanda Chacón is a hospital executive who has spent her career in pediatric health care. She came to Omaha in 2020 from Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, where she has been executive vice president and system chief operating officer since 2016. Chacón said that Children’s focuses first on listening to and learning from the hospital’s leadership team, its medical staff, community physicians and the families the hospital serves “to really understand where the community wants us to head and where the children of Nebraska and beyond need us to head.” “It’s really about being able to build partnerships and collaborative relationships so that we make the right decisions together,” Chacón said. “That’s the kind of leader that I am. I’m very focused on having the right people at the table to make the best decision for the children and the families that we care for.”

Chacón said she believes that children deserve what children’s hospitals can provide. “We have people trained to help kids understand what’s happening,” she said, “and that for me was absolutely the reason I’m in health care. I don’t want any family to experience what my family experienced. Families deserve better than that for their children.”

Chanda Chacon, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital. CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Two north downtown developments will be part of new Builder’s District

Rendering of the future Dizzy Mule development in Millwork Commons, a mix of commercial space and

apartments. ALLEY POYNER MACCHIETTO ARCHITECTURE

Two developments will bring office space, retail, new apartments and a new office building to north Omaha, near 15th and Mike Fahey Streets as part of the larger Builder’s District.

At about 120,000 square feet, the office building will have room for commercial and office space as well as first-floor spots for restaurants and a fitness center. It features unique — and environmentally friendly — design features. Plans also include two rooftop decks, a pedestrian plaza and a park. The overall development, dubbed the Builder’s District, would see offices, apartments, an urban park and the potential for a small grocery store brought to the area. The project is being developed by the Noddle Companies. The development would run from Cuming Street on the north to Cass Street on the south. The western edge is on 17th Street with the eastern edge on 14th Street. About five blocks northeast of the Builder’s District, a different team of developers plans to rehab a historic building near the Millwork Commons Development. Known as the Dizzy Mule project, it would create about 18,000 square feet of commercial space as well as more than 170 apartments near 13th and Izard Streets. The existing building would undergo extensive renovations. A new five-story building would go up on the east and west sides of the building, creating an L-shape. The design would make the project look like six individual buildings to fit in with the character of the area.

The first floor would include parking garages, commercial space and amenities for residential units.

An area that developers are proposing a Builders District. CHRIS MACHIAN

AROUND THE REGION

Council Bluffs

Plans call for another bridge to Council Bluffs, development on golf course land

A bridge that would allow for streetcar, pedestrian and bicycle traffic between downtown Omaha and Council Bluffs could spur major development opportunities on the Iowa side of the Missouri River.

Plans for the bridge as well as a number of other potential projects in Omaha’s urban core have been unveiled by the Greater Omaha Chamber.

The bridge, which officials estimate could cost between $80 million and $100 million, would sit south of Interstate 480. Along with the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and other trails, it would create a 2-mile loop for walkers, runners and cyclists. It also would make way for redevelopment of Dodge Park — Council Bluffs’ only public-owned golf course — and could lead to a streetcar line connecting Omaha and the Bluffs.

The bridge is the “linchpin” of the project, said Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh. “We believe the bridge can happen and that will, in and of itself, get the development we need,” he said. The bridge would start at about Douglas Street on the Omaha side and would end up in land that now holds Dodge Park golf course, said Brandon Garrett, chief of staff in the Bluffs mayor’s office. Walsh said about 19,000 Council Bluffs residents commute every day to jobs in Omaha.

“We’ve always been part of the urban core, but we think that this is big-idea thinking and transformative for the entire metro area,” Walsh said. An urban core committee’s planning document shows an image of a bridge in Oregon as an example of what the Omaha-Council Bluffs bridge could look like. The Oregon bridge is divided, allowing for pedestrian and bicyclist traffic on one side and a streetcar line on the other.

The report went on to say that the bridge would be instrumental in linking housing and jobs and would be a catalyst in achieving the urban core plan’s employment and residential goals. Bluffs officials also want to extend a streetcar line through the city, stretching from the riverfront to Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital and CHI Health Mercy Hospital. The streetcar would run adjacent to a new trail running along the First Avenue corridor. The trail was constructed to leave enough room for a future streetcar line off to the side, Walsh said.

A rendering shows a proposed redevelopment plan that would convert Dodge Park in Council Bluffs into a residential development with mixed-use elements. The plan also would call for a bridge across the Missouri River and a streetcar line. HDR/GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER

Bluffs officials are talking about the bridge and streetcar projects with consultants, Walsh said.

Dodge Park, where the streetcar’s first Council Bluffs station would sit, would undergo major redevelopment. The golf course would become a residential development with some mixed-use elements, including restaurants, shops and, potentially, office space. “It’s more an extension of downtown Omaha coming into Council Bluffs,” Garrett said.

Bellevue

Bellevue officials announce plans to revitalize Olde Towne area

A multi-story building featuring luxury apartments and 18,000 square feet of retail space will rise in Bellevue’s

A rendering shows The Bridge Flats in the Frontier District in Olde Towne Bellevue. The four-story building would feature luxury apartment units and retail space. It would be the centerpiece of

revitalization. MERCURY BUILDERS AND CMBA ARCHITECTS

Olde Towne, paving the way for the revitalization of the city’s core. The new building will rise at the northeast corner of Mission Avenue and Washington Street. The site previously was home to Bellevue City Hall. The four-story building, dubbed The Bridge Flats in the Frontier District, would feature 53 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments on the upper levels, said Jeff Gehring, co-owner of Mercury Builders, which is behind the project. The main level would include 18,000 square feet for retail.

It also would feature a landscaped and furnished courtyard with an outdoor kitchen and grill station as well as space for such activities as yoga or bocce ball. The plan calls for redeveloped façades for businesses on the south side of Mission Avenue. Officials said that would give the area a more uniform look. The new building would be the catalyst for a major streetscaping project along Mission Avenue, Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike said. The streetscaping project would span about three blocks, running from Washington Street to Hancock Street. The city and the developer would like to see such features as a small grocery store, restaurants and a fitness center occupy some of the commercial space. The streetscaping project will require updating the infrastructure below the street, Hike said. Once rebuilt, the street would be narrowed to two lanes in an effort to slow traffic. On-street parking would be converted to diagonal stalls to allow for more parking. The project also would expand sidewalks, making the area more pedestrian- and bicyclist-friendly.

Papillion

Housing, retail space, offices planned for 84th Street & Highway 370

A development slated for Papillion will bring housing, retail and office space to the 120-acre Tower District near 84th Street and Nebraska Highway 370. Developers have stuck to a strict vision to be sure the space has a similar neighborhood charm as such districts as Blackstone and Dundee in Omaha, said Jesse Calabretto, a partner and developer on the project. The development will include 900 housing units, with the potential, Calabretto said, to house between 1,500 and 2,500 residents. The area also will include townhomes and senior-living cottages. About 300,000 square feet will be dedicated to retail and office space. So far, several tenants have signed onto the project, although officials aren’t yet disclosing details. While some chains will appear in the retail section of the development, Calabretto said he hopes to see momand-pop businesses, too. A park will sit in the center of the development. Calabretto said officials envision holiday ceremonies, live music, pop-up food tents and other activities could take place in that space. The development is also designed to be pedestrian- and bike-friendly. Trails through the development will connect to a trail system that takes users to Prairie Queen Recreation Area.

Many hands have been involved in the project, Calabretto said, including HDR and officials with the City of Papillion. Houses, apartments and commercial spaces should start to rise by summer 2023.

“We’re proud that this development will truly appeal to all income ranges, and that’s what we want,” Calabretto said. “It will cater to every demographic and every price point.”

Omaha entrepreneur CharDale Barnes stands outside of his marketing, branding and web services business, Stable Gray, in a newly renovated

building. CHRIS MACHIAN

ENTREPRENEURS & START-UPS

Startup Omaha Week

Startup Omaha Week is a week-long celebration of events focused on building a stronger and more collaborative startup ecosystem within the Greater Omaha area. Entrepreneurs of all types are welcome to participate. Startup Omaha Week is a volunteer and community-led and organized event. All events are organized by those hoping to make a difference within the startup community and entrepreneurial ecosystem in the greater Omaha community including startup founders, startup employees, support organizations, and many more.

Silicon Prairie News

Omaha isn’t just about Fortune 500 companies. Several smaller firms are looking to expand and the Omaha area provides the perfect opportunities for that. To get the word out about some of those opportunities, Silicon Prairie News has a mission of growing, connecting and inspiring technology innovation in communities throughout the Midwest, with a primary focus in the Omaha-Kansas City-Des Moines “triangle.” As part of that mission, Silicon Prairie News raises awareness about entrepreneurs and start-ups through its media publications and website, siliconprairienews.com.

The Mastercraft & Millwork Commons

The Mastercraft is a place rich with history that now helps local entrepreneurs prepare a better future in Omaha. It has office and community space for more than 50 start-ups, nonprofits, creatives and entrepreneurial businesses. The Mastercraft building is located in the heart of the Millwork Commons in Omaha’s bustling downtown area. Launched about four years ago, Millwork Commons is trying to create a 45-acre collaborative and residential community that will provide a live-work- play campus for tech and other creative businesses. Investors are directing up to $300 million for the effort.

An anchor of Millwork Commons is the Ashton warehouse, built in the 1880s, which covers nearly 200,000 square feet. The Ashton features a spacious lobby called The Dock, where people can watch movies on a giant screen and socialize over a cup of coffee or house-made beer from local vendors.

Modus Coworking

Coworking spaces like those at Modus Coworking are affordable, turnkey shared workspaces and offices that offer amenities and services that are conducive to productivity and provide a much-needed break from the monotonous work life by its unconventional environment. Whether you are a freelancer looking for a drop-in space, or an established team seeking a dedicated desk or private office, coworking solutions allow you to pay for only the space you need.

MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program

MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program is a global initiative dedicated to strengthening innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystems in communities like Omaha. Lead by the Greater Omaha Chamber, MIT REAP’s Team Omaha works to build partnerships and relationships with other entrepreneurial development teams in Kansas City, Des Moines and St. Louis. The team’s goal is to make the Midwest a premiere place for startups to establish, grow and scale their businesses. In Omaha, MIT REAP works to pinpoint the opportunities that Omaha’s unique entrepreneurial ecosystem has and discover how it can work with other cities, such as Lincoln and Council Bluffs.

A skateboarder tries to land a trick at Millwork Park, part of the Millwork Commons north

downtown. EILEEN T. MESLAR

OMAHA’S BEST-KEPT SECRET EXPERIENCES MAJOR GROWTH

Milan Laser Hair Removal’s corporate office expands while more clinics open nationally

The nation’s largest laser hair removal company, Milan Laser Hair Removal, calls Omaha, Nebraska, its home. Many have driven by the clinics in central and west Omaha, but not everyone knows Milan Laser’s corporate headquarters is housed in west Omaha too. The office has recently been revamped to better accommodate its nearly 500 and counting Omaha-based employees. “We’ve experienced so many milestones this year—we became the largest laser hair removal company in the country with more than 220 locations nationwide, surpassed the 1,000+ employee mark nationally, celebrated our 10th anniversary, and unveiled our updated and expanded 45,000-sq. ft. headquarters,” said Dr. Shikhar Saxena, co-founder and CEO of Milan Laser Hair Removal. Milan Laser’s humble beginnings started in Papillion, Nebraska, with a single clinic providing body contouring, botox, and fillers in addition to laser hair removal. Saxena, and his high school best friend and Milan co-founder, Dr. Abe Schumacher, decided to focus only on laser hair removal because it yielded the best, most consistent results and proved to be life-changing for clients.

When Milan started, it was evident clients were receiving lackluster results from laser hair removal treatments at other companies. They were also frustrated with the hidden fees and the need to pay more to get additional sessions to achieve their desired results.

“We tapped into the frustrations clients had about subpar laser hair removal results,” said Saxena. “Most companies were selling limited treatment packages, so clients would have to keep coming back to get the results they wanted while continuing to pay more.” Over the past decade, Milan has been revolutionizing the laser hair removal industry (and the aesthetics industry as a whole) by offering technology to treat all skin tones and guaranteeing every client’s results for life at one affordable price with their exclusive Unlimited Package™, which comes with every body area purchased. This unique package gives clients

unlimited treatments on any body area purchased—though the average client is 95%+ hair-free in seven to 10 treatments.

As a medically based company, Milan Laser is continually refining its proprietary protocol and highly trained medical professionals who are overseen by physicians perform every treatment. By leaning into its medical roots, they provide the safest, most effective laser hair removal treatments in the industry. Laser hair removal has only recently become mainstream, and Milan Laser has led the effort to increase public awareness. “Our clients can always rest easy knowing they’re getting treated by experts,” said Saxena. “Not only are they getting the most effective treatments, but they’re also getting them done safely.” Milan Laser performs over 50,000 treatments and has more than 220 locations nationwide. Along with the new headquarters in West Omaha, Milan Laser also has a warehouse distribution center and a call center in the Omaha Metro area to accommodate the company’s rapid growth. Milan Laser now has 1,600+ employees across the country. “We’ve grown a lot over the last few years, but our mission remains the same—and it’s at the heart of everything we do at Milan,” emphasized President Colleen Papek. “We operate on Milan time, which is faster than most companies, but our goal will always be to deliver the best results in the industry while providing every client an exceptional customer experience.”

We don’t coast. We innovate. We grow … and change the lives of employees and clients everywhere. To learn more, visit MilanLaser.com or follow @MilanLaser on Instagram and Twitter.