- New apartments, hotel, and parking garage planned for completion by 2027.
- Local artists welcome growth but note road closures and parking issues.
- Community sees rising business and opportunities for collaboration.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
North Downtown Omaha is in the middle of a major transformation, with new apartments, hotels, and even a 600-space parking garage set to open in the coming years. The changes are bringing both excitement and growing pains for longtime residents and entrepreneurs.
In just the last few months, Dizzy Mule Apartments welcomed its first tenants. For many, like local business owners and artists, that’s a sign of what’s to come.
“The future feels very exciting to me, to have a more vibrant neighborhood… people going out to eat,” said Spellman.
Valerie Spellman, a stained-glass artist who has worked in the area for 20 years, admits the construction has been tough. Road closures and limited parking have made day-to-day operations harder. Still, she says the progress is undeniable.
"We were surrounded by empty warehouses— it kinda just felt like we were an island, then over the years, the stadium was built, then the hotels went up and now all these warehouse are being converted,” Spellman recalled.
For artists like Matthew Shrader at the Hot Shops, the development brings new opportunities. He says the neighborhood’s growth allows them to welcome more people into their creative community.
“The most important part for us at the Hot Shops is to be there with the community, so when the community comes to join us, we outreach our hand and say hey, welcome to the neighborhood,” Shrader said.
Shrader believes the expansion also fuels collaboration and personal growth for local artists.
“More people, more community, as an artist that’s the best way to interact is to collaborate— if it’s sharing my art, or teaching my art, people are important to that equation,” Shrader said.
Despite temporary slowdowns in foot traffic, Spellman says business is already starting to see an uptick.
“100%—so I’m making more items for sale to reflect that, trying to take advantage of it,” Spellman said.
At the center of it all is the Ashton building, surrounded by new projects like the Frame Apartments, a hotel, and the parking garage. The city expects the hotel and apartments to be completed by 2027, continuing North Downtown’s evolution from empty warehouses into a thriving hub for both business and art.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
