Mercantile (Conagra campus development)

[Brad]

I find it comical how so many of you bash Drury for their hotel design when most of you don’t have the funds to build a two story Motel 6.

Motel 2 and a half…. lol

I do think 8 stories on the Conagra lot is gonna seem really tall.

[Garrett]

I think a lot of it has been us living in a streetcar hype where we wanna see something greater than 15 stories break ground that isn’t Mutual, while also seeing Drury pivot to this lot given the limits on the previous lot that this plan doesn’t even seem to surpass. Yeah it’s a lovely project but I think there was just a general hype that it might be more.

[stadsborgare]

I think a lot of it has been us living in a streetcar hype where we wanna see something greater than 15 stories break ground that isn’t Mutual, while also seeing Drury pivot to this lot given the limits on the previous lot that this plan doesn’t even seem to surpass. Yeah it’s a lovely project but I think there was just a general hype that it might be more.

I'd be bothered more if it was 8 stories on the old UP lot, but since this is on 10th Street, it seems to fit more with the Old Market. Not that I wouldn't love it if they were to decide on something taller, but 8 stories - not too shabby for the area.

I think in time you'll see highrises come about after the streetcar is up and running for a few years, and I envision them sprouting up between 20th and 31st Streets.

[Linkin5]

Hopefully I’ll be completely wrong but my primary concern is that Drury owns the caddy corner lot on 10th and Harney and I’m worried that they are going to keep this lot for Drury customer parking. If that happens I don’t see them ever relinquishing control of the property.

[nativeomahan]

Most of us on here had hopes for chateaubriand but apparently will have to settle for chateau-bland.

[Louie]

Hopefully I’ll be completely wrong but my primary concern is that Drury owns the caddy corner lot on 10th and Harney and I’m worried that they are going to keep this lot for Drury customer parking. If that happens I don’t see them ever relinquishing control of the property.

That hadn’t even crossed my mind, but that would be awful.

[Huskerbum]

At least Hyatt place built on top of parking to alleviate these kinds of concerns… still think this is a miss. If the lots across the way is going to be retained for parking its an overwhelming miss.

[thenewguy]

I know I'm in the minority here, but it looks like it will fit nicely with what is there and the density/height will be good. If we were rehabbing jobbers canyon, all the buildings there would be relatively the same height, so (for me at least) it doesn't have to be overly tall.

[skip]

Hopefully I’ll be completely wrong but my primary concern is that Drury owns the caddy corner lot on 10th and Harney and I’m worried that they are going to keep this lot for Drury customer parking. If that happens I don’t see them ever relinquishing control of the property.

That hadn’t even crossed my mind, but that would be awful.

there is underground parking and a dozen or so surface parking spots in the proposal. very very low chances they would keep the surface lot across street too.

[Louie]

Hopefully I’ll be completely wrong but my primary concern is that Drury owns the caddy corner lot on 10th and Harney and I’m worried that they are going to keep this lot for Drury customer parking. If that happens I don’t see them ever relinquishing control of the property.

That hadn’t even crossed my mind, but that would be awful.

there is underground parking and a dozen or so surface parking spots in the proposal. very very low chances they would keep the surface lot across street too.

Hope you’re right!

[jjjjhskr]

The trees on the plot of land where the Drury Inn is going to be dealt are being removed. The hotel is definitely happening.

[jjjjhskr]

[nativeomahan]

Wow. They were there yesterday when I drove by.

[kb97]

Fence put up this morning around the lot east of Brickline.

[jjjjhskr]

East or south of Brickline? East would be heartland park. South is where the hotel is going

[Brad]

East or south of Brickline? East would be heartland park. South is where the hotel is going

His photo is of the lot to the east circled in red on this map:

Screenshot 2026-05-21 083345.jpg

[jjjjhskr]

If it’s east, that must be for the year round farmers market. Yea!

[kb97]

Yep, east. Nothing has happened in the lot south since they cut down the trees.

[iamjacobm]

TIF packing for the Drury Hotel before the planning board next week.

[Garrett]

Nothing new, same renderings

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... e/07_1.pdf

[bldgengineer2015]

It is interesting that the city recommends denial based on not meeting the downtown hotel requirements. However, the Moxy which is very near here qualified for TIF and is in the same scale rating as the Drury.

[iamjacobm]

It is interesting that the city recommends denial based on not meeting the downtown hotel requirements. However, the Moxy which is very near here qualified for TIF and is in the same scale rating as the Drury.

I believe that is a relatively new policy designed for upscale hotels only and wasn’t in place when Moxy started.

I am surprised it applies to TIF though. I thought it was just for the enhanced employment area incentive.

[Garrett]

It is interesting that the city recommends denial based on not meeting the downtown hotel requirements. However, the Moxy which is very near here qualified for TIF and is in the same scale rating as the Drury.

I believe that is a relatively new policy designed for upscale hotels only and wasn’t in place when Moxy started.

I am surprised it applies to TIF though. I thought it was just for the enhanced employment area incentive.

Ahhh I was lazy and didn't read.

Specifically, the city hotel policy for EEAs is now specifically focused on Upper Upscale and Luxury Brands. Drury Plaza falls two tiers below Upper Upscale, at Upper Midscale.

https://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Media/Defa ... scales.pdf

We discussed this policy change here in December 2025

viewtopic.php?p=422426

From the application:

ANALYSIS: The City’s Downtown Hotel Incentive Policy specifies that “the City will not make
TIF or EEA available for new construction hotel development that is classified as Economy,
Midscale, Upper Midscale, or Upscale properties.” Staff finds the proposed hotel does not
comply with the City’s Hotel Policy, as the proposed facility is not considered an upper-upscale
or luxury hotel.

This could be dead in the water unless they can get a better brand.

[iamjacobm]

It is interesting that the city recommends denial based on not meeting the downtown hotel requirements. However, the Moxy which is very near here qualified for TIF and is in the same scale rating as the Drury.

I believe that is a relatively new policy designed for upscale hotels only and wasn’t in place when Moxy started.

I am surprised it applies to TIF though. I thought it was just for the enhanced employment area incentive.

Ahhh I was lazy and didn't read.

Specifically, the city hotel policy for EEAs is now specifically focused on Upper Upscale and Luxury Brands. Drury Plaza falls two tiers below Upper Upscale, at Upper Midscale.

https://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Media/Defa ... scales.pdf

We discussed this policy change here in December 2025

viewtopic.php?p=422426

From the application:

ANALYSIS: The City’s Downtown Hotel Incentive Policy specifies that “the City will not make
TIF or EEA available for new construction hotel development that is classified as Economy,
Midscale, Upper Midscale, or Upscale properties.” Staff finds the proposed hotel does not
comply with the City’s Hotel Policy, as the proposed facility is not considered an upper-upscale
or luxury hotel.

This could be dead in the water unless they can get a better brand.

The more I think about this the more surprised I am the city structured this new rule to apply to both TIF and the additional upscale hotel incentive. I had figured the new incentive would be an additional carrot for the top of the market but they wouldn’t shut off TIF for the mid level brands. Could limit new hotels DT.

This looks like maybe not the best DD by Drury to figure this out this far into the process as well.

[Mapguy]

I dont think its a bad policy to limit TIF to luxury hotels. Downtown is chock full of mid level hotels theres at least 6-12 average hotels already in a 1 mile radius why would we subsidize more of the same?

The point of any incentive is to get something you normally cant. A skyscraper, a streetcar, a stadium. A nicer hotel than the market would dictate.

I dont think anybody would point to a Drury and be like and we wouldnt have had this slightly above average level hotel in this super prime spot without the public footing part of the bill.

[Garrett]

It is interesting that the city recommends denial based on not meeting the downtown hotel requirements. However, the Moxy which is very near here qualified for TIF and is in the same scale rating as the Drury.

I believe that is a relatively new policy designed for upscale hotels only and wasn’t in place when Moxy started.

I am surprised it applies to TIF though. I thought it was just for the enhanced employment area incentive.

Ahhh I was lazy and didn't read.

Specifically, the city hotel policy for EEAs is now specifically focused on Upper Upscale and Luxury Brands. Drury Plaza falls two tiers below Upper Upscale, at Upper Midscale.

https://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Media/Defa ... scales.pdf

We discussed this policy change here in December 2025

viewtopic.php?p=422426

From the application:

ANALYSIS: The City’s Downtown Hotel Incentive Policy specifies that “the City will not make
TIF or EEA available for new construction hotel development that is classified as Economy,
Midscale, Upper Midscale, or Upscale properties.” Staff finds the proposed hotel does not
comply with the City’s Hotel Policy, as the proposed facility is not considered an upper-upscale
or luxury hotel.

This could be dead in the water unless they can get a better brand.

The more I think about this the more surprised I am the city structured this new rule to apply to both TIF and the additional upscale hotel incentive. I had figured the new incentive would be an additional carrot for the top of the market but they wouldn’t shut off TIF for the mid level brands. Could limit new hotels DT.

This looks like maybe not the best DD by Drury to figure this out this far into the process as well.

As I recall, the change was prompted by the city doing a study that showed that the core was essentially saturated if not over served by mid scale hotels. The changes to the law do make exceptions for hotels that are going into NRHP properties, serve the med center, or include significant convention/amenity spaces, which this project doesn’t. I wonder if the planning board meeting will end up shedding more light on this process.

[omahahawk]

If it’s east, that must be for the year round farmers market. Yea!

Any changes since the fence has gone up? Been looking forward to this more than anything else proposed in the area and I haven't noticed any updates from the mailing list. Anybody got a bit of a scoop?

[iamjacobm]

There would almost certainly be docs in front of planning and city council before that project started and there haven’t been any yet.

[omahahawk]

That's just it......makes me wonder why it is all fenced like something is about to happen.

[Garrett]

Maybe they're doing some testing on the site, soil samples and the like? Though I imagine that would have happened earlier in a design process.

[jjjjhskr]

Maybe they're doing some testing on the site, soil samples and the like? Though I imagine that would have happened earlier in a design process.

They posted for the job of GM (or similar) awhile back

[iamjacobm]

I had the thought that site might be used as the staging area for the Drury hotel construction but will be interesting to see what happened with that at the planning meeting.

[Brad]

I had the thought that site might be used as the staging area for the Drury hotel construction but will be interesting to see what happened with that at the planning meeting.

Here is the video from the meeting. It was denied with a 4-1

Item 7 is the Drury Plaza TIF
Starts at the 1 hour 14 min mark.

[Brad]

One more note from that video. Even though it was Denied, they can still go to the City Council, it just goes with a "recommendation of denial" from the planning board. All planning board decisions are just a recommendation.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

I guess it was worth a try for Drury. I only watched part of the video, including the part where Drury referenced existing properties that this hotel would be similar too. The Drury Plaza brand is not at upper-upscale or luxury level. I think the planning board made the right decision here.

[Garrett]

It’s an interesting argument, particularly referencing how the standards of Upper-Upscale is decided based on room rates and not much else, but I hope this lights a fire for Drury to beef up their proposal.

[ita]

It’s an interesting argument, particularly referencing how the standards of Upper-Upscale is decided based on room rates and not much else, but I hope this lights a fire for Drury to beef up their proposal.

I don't think Drury can do anything at this point. The City seems dead set on enforcing this restriction, based on their comments; they are not budging from the STR distinctions. I think there might be something going on with trying to get the third convention hotel. Supposedly, with the expansion, we need another 800-1000 rooms downtown, so you would think Drury would be needed to help fill that need. However, Jasmine from Visit Omaha, said something about needed an 800-1000 room hotel because convention people want to be all under one roof as much as possible. I don't know, those comments jumped out to me when I watched it.

[NEDodger]

It’s an interesting argument, particularly referencing how the standards of Upper-Upscale is decided based on room rates and not much else, but I hope this lights a fire for Drury to beef up their proposal.

I don't think Drury can do anything at this point. The City seems dead set on enforcing this restriction, based on their comments; they are not budging from the STR distinctions. I think there might be something going on with trying to get the third convention hotel. Supposedly, with the expansion, we need another 800-1000 rooms downtown, so you would think Drury would be needed to help fill that need. However, Jasmine from Visit Omaha, said something about needed an 800-1000 room hotel because convention people want to be all under one roof as much as possible. I don't know, those comments jumped out to me when I watched it.

If we lose the Drury to get a 30-story luxury hotel by the convention center….Im happy with that trade-off.

[nebport5]

It’s an interesting argument, particularly referencing how the standards of Upper-Upscale is decided based on room rates and not much else, but I hope this lights a fire for Drury to beef up their proposal.

Realistically, what do you think that might entail?

In spite of the arbitrariness of the STR ratings it seems Drury has a branding issue by lumping their Plaza and Suites concepts together. Their argument seems to be they offer as much or more as the upper upscale and luxury hotels at economy prices. As congruent as those two things could possibly be the bottom line is that the Drury brand doesn't move the needle for attracting convention business.

I'm afraid this could result in them abandoning the podium design and building a small parking garage at the 10th & Harney lot.

[Garrett]

It’s an interesting argument, particularly referencing how the standards of Upper-Upscale is decided based on room rates and not much else, but I hope this lights a fire for Drury to beef up their proposal.

Realistically, what do you think that might entail?

In spite of the arbitrariness of the STR ratings it seems Drury has a branding issue by lumping their Plaza and Suites concepts together. Their argument seems to be they offer as much or more as the upper upscale and luxury hotels at economy prices. As congruent as those two things could possibly be the bottom line is that the Drury brand doesn't move the needle for attracting convention business.

I'm afraid this could result in them abandoning the podium design and building a small parking garage at the 10th & Harney lot.

Honestly I’m not sure, it was more me spitballing. The ordinance does say that they’ll also consider hotels that include significant amounts of convention space. Perhaps even a larger hotel would be more enticing. I still need to finish watching the testimony to be honest.

Edit: having now watched Jazz’s testimony, starting at 1:48:30 in the video, there’s no way in heck Drury can pull this off. The convention bureau pushing for a 800-1000 room hotel really hits home how much of a mistake it was to go for the smaller Hilton over the big Marriott back in the day.