2026 Wish List

[ita]

I am starting one for next year. Omaha has a lot of stuff going on, but here are my hopes in terms of announcements (aiming for more realistic aspirations):

- City takes Civic Site back. Non-profit sports facility is not the only other viable option.
- The State building is sold to a developer who has plans to raze it for a high rise or high rises.
- Lot B and new convention hotel is announced. It's akin to an Omni or Loews and it's a high rise.
- Council Bluffs mayor actually considers what the linkages study shows and reconsiders the streetcar. (Unlikely, I know, but if she is against wasting money or something, she should at least look at what's been done)

[Gobears27]

For 2026 I’m betting a little more ambitions with what I’m hoping for.
- actual progress on buildings at the crossroads development.
- an announcement from Drury.
- an announcement about a new building at the builders district.
- the state office building being sold to a developer.
- A shovel in the ground for union Omahas stadium.
- An announcement of a study on an additional corridor
- some thing happening with the civic site, whether it’s steel going up or going back to the city.
- some understanding of what Union Pacific plans to do with the lot they just bought.
- an announcement about something on the Mutual of Omaha land.

[NEDodger]

1. Steel rising at the Crossroads
2. Shovels in the ground for Brad Williams Photography Stadium, home of Union Omaha
3. Drury Inn announces a 15+ story for the Mercantile land
4. Union Pacific announces a 25+ story for their old HQ land site
5. A developer announces a 30+ story residential tower for the State Office Building land
6. After the Comfort Inn at the Zoo fiasco, the zoo announces a hotel resort on site, managed by a Marriott/Hilton/Hyatt
7. Shovels in the ground for the year-round farmer’s market building
8. Omaha Children’s Museum hires a great CEO and the riverfront relocation plans go back online
9. The city announces a new developer for the Civic site and it’s full speed ahead
10. Announcement about the Mutual of Omaha site, including renovation of the current space and a new 12+ story building.
11. Lot B redevelopment plans that include a top-end hotel and a CWS or college baseball museum

[Brad]

2. Shovels in the ground for Brad Williams Photography Stadium, home of Union Omaha

LOL!

Here's my budget:

Screenshot 2025-12-30 135207.jpg

[djc311]

2. Shovels in the ground for Brad Williams Photography Stadium, home of Union Omaha

LOL!

Here's my budget:
Screenshot 2025-12-30 135207.jpg

Can you at least get backs on the benches?

[Padre]

2. Shovels in the ground for Brad Williams Photography Stadium, home of Union Omaha

LOL!

Here's my budget:
Screenshot 2025-12-30 135207.jpg

Can you at least get backs on the benches?

Hey, consider yourself lucky you get a seat! Many of the Association Football stadiums in England used to have standing only sections.

[jag42]

Probably unrealistic, but another shot at having an AHL hockey franchise back in town.

[Bob from Omaha]

Megasaver goes public and buys Bucee's.
Scooters buys the Civic land & builds an exact replica of Conagra's campus.
Buffett can't take it and retakes NFM job after a week.
The Strategic Command moves to NEX. Yates sells naming rights and it's now Mega Saver Command Base.
Runza changes its name to Runs? Yeah!

[Garrett]

3. Drury Inn announces a 15+ story for the Mercantile land

Welp

[ita]

3. Drury Inn announces a 15+ story for the Mercantile land

Welp

They got it half right!

[locoluke]

I'd like to see some movement on the 24th Street ORBT line as well as further mobility enhancements in general.

[NEDodger]

3. Drury Inn announces an 8 story for the Mercantile land

Welp

They got it half right!

What do ya mean? Nailed it!

[Greg S]

18,000-20,000 seat amphitheater announced for the metro (tired of going to KC and others for shows).

Union Omaha's downtown stadium breaks ground.

New construction high rise residential announced (not conversion from existing office space).

The Zoo announces it's next phase of construction with some cool new exhibits and hopefully the return or Polar Bears. (It's been a quite few years as we went through the change to the new leader.

Capital District. Some new leadership that will get the outdoor space more uses and events going. So underutilized when compared to similar spaces in KC and Lincoln.

Mutual of Omaha Campus. We find out the future of the campus and it includes revitalizing/reimagining Mid Town Crossing. MTC just hasn't worked. There's an opportunity to address/fix it now.

Children's Museum gets their act together and reverses course on new building.

We hear again from Rod Yates and Johanna Boston. They seem to have gone AWOL and it's never boring when we hear from them.

The following are not something I see possibly happening but I can dream:

An amusement park anywhere (either side of the river) announced for the Metro

Macy's shocks the world and announces store for Omaha. I know they aren't really building anymore.


Greg