Grow Omaha 9-20-2025

·38 min·3 clips

Steve Jensen, a former Omaha planning director, reveals why the streetcar project is taking longer than expected.

The episode begins with host Trenton Magid introducing guest co-host Brad Williams and special guest Steve Jensen, a former Omaha planning director now with the mayor's office. The first segment covers development news, including a groundbreaking for a new Baker's Marketplace grocery store at 114th and Q, the first new Baker's in Omaha in 26 years. It also mentions a wooden flyway project at Lauritzen Gardens and repainting of the Big Boy steam locomotive at Kenefick Park. The conversation then shifts to Steve Jensen, who provides an update on the Omaha streetcar project. He explains that the opening is delayed to Labor Day 2028 due to replacing all underground utility lines, adding about a year to construction. Jensen addresses public criticism, noting that the streetcar aims to revitalize downtown by reducing parking and increasing tax base. He projects $4 billion in development along the route over 15 years, generating nearly a billion dollars in property tax revenue to fund the project without citywide tax increases. The discussion touches on challenges extending the streetcar to the med center, as it doesn't pay property taxes. Later, the episode highlights the Noddle Development Spotlight, focusing on Creighton University's Fly Together initiative, a $300 million donor-funded investment in athletics and recreation facilities. This connects to the Builders District, part of a broader urban village development. The show concludes with a lightning round sponsored by Perkins Kreitzer Construction, covering quick updates like Williamsburg Pizza opening a second location, a new Twin Peaks sports bar, and the reopening of a Council Bluffs Runza. Throughout, the hosts promote the Grow Omaha newsletter and Facebook page, noting a schedule change for the next issue.

As heard by us

A grounded Omaha update on the streetcar delay, buried infrastructure and Camp Blackstone's closure.

Omaha's growth comes through as a run of practical choices. Brad Williams joins as co-host after working downtown on the next construction update, while Steve Jensen explains why the streetcar's opening target has shifted to Labor Day 2028.

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Why you'd press play

You want the streetcar timeline explained, from late-2027 car deliveries to a Labor Day 2028 operating target.

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