The Civic Auditorium, which in its day held hundreds of shows entertaining thousands of people for decades in downtown Omaha, may become a place shoppers flock to buy groceries.
When Mayor Jean Stothert discussed the "State of the City" she mentioned that a Hy-Vee grocery store is a possibility there, or that an existing Omaha company could relocate to a new office building to the site.
Tetrad is developing the site and the plan is actively being worked on.
People in downtown Omaha are excited for the possibility of a nearby grocery store. Some say the area needs an affordable and convenient place to shop.
"I think it would be nice. I'd definitely go use it," said Derek Comba, who lives downtown. "It would be a lot closer, a lot more convenient. There's not many options, I guess the closest is the Walmart in Council Bluffs. But if I stay here in Omaha, it's probably another 15-20 minutes away."
In the fall, one of downtown's only places to buy groceries, Patrick's Market, closed down after 10 years.
Hy-Vee said there's no information to share on the specific location the mayor spoke about, but they appreciate that people have an interest in having Hy-Vee in their communities. In a 2016 interview with the Omaha World Herald, Hy-Vee's CEO said they were interested in a downtown location.
It's unclear whether both the grocery store and the relocation project could happen on the same land.
