Commercial Developments
OEDC’s mission is to strengthen the quality of life for the residents of North Omaha through comprehensive economic opportunities and community development. Recognized as a systems change leader, it provides frontline insight leadership for transformational revitalization strategies in historic restoration of residential and commercial spaces; affordable housing; small business development; and mid-sized urban job centers. These successful commercial projects continue to strengthen and enrich the North Omaha community, while new commercial development opportunities are currently in the works.
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Constructed in 1923, the Jewell Building was the location of the renowned Dreamland Ballroom until 1965. From the 1920s to the early 1960s, many of the world’s greatest African-American Jazz musicians and entertainers performed in the Dreamland. They included the likes of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, James Brown, Lena Horne, Dizzy Gillespie and Omaha’s own Preston Love Sr., to name a few. The building, a national treasure, was renovated in 1985 by the Omaha Economic Development Corporation, preserving its rich history and national prominence. That same year, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Jewell Building serves as OEDC’s headquarters and houses several community organizations: 100 Black Men of Omaha, NAACP, and the Great Plains Black History Museum.
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The creation of the Fair Deal Village MarketPlace pivoted around the historic Fair Deal Café. Open daily for more than four decades, the Café was a space where anyone could experience the many slices of North Omaha’s history. Frequented by celebrities such as Jesse Jackson during the Civil Rights era, the Café was often referred to as Omaha’s Black City Hall. Yet, it remained a neighborhood gathering place for the Sunday after-church crowds, local residents, business owners and their employees, and local politicians until its closure in 2003. Fair Deal Village MarketPlace is a place that addresses barriers to economic entry among small and micro-business owners who, unable to rent traditional storefronts in the city, can find unique and affordable commercial spaces in repurposed shipping containers.
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In 2014, OEDC constructed the Learning Community Center of North Omaha to support that organization’s efforts toward improving quality of life outcomes for children and families through early intervention education and programming. This high-quality commercial structure, located at North 24th and Franklin Streets, balances safety and cutting-edge technology with a positive atmosphere for all who utilize and visit the building.
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In 2004, OEDC employed the “Field of Dreams” philosophy: Build it, and they will come. We initiated construction on Long School MarketPlace with no tenant committed to leasing any of the space. In the spring of 2005, several months before the shopping center was completed, OEDC secured its first tenant, Family Dollar, which is still there today. The other major tenant in the center is North End Teleservices.
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One of the greatest challenges underserved metropolitan communities face is their ability to ensure the availability and accessibility of living wage jobs for all of their residents in ever-urbanizing conditions. OEDC made a substantial investment to capitalize North End Teleservices (NET), a mid-sized urban call center that addresses the need for local jobs in North Omaha while contributing to the larger community revitalization strategies.
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In response to expanding businesses in the area, this building was constructed at 2205 North 24th Street. The post office was officially opened on October 2, 1948, and served the Near North Side for over a half century. After the post office moved, the building housed several different businesses, including a beauty salon, a food pantry, and a coffee shop.
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This building was constructed in 1914. Allen Jones, an African American undertaker, located his business here in 1916. By 1926, Herman Friedlander opened a grocery store in the space. For the next 30 years, either a grocery store or restaurant occupied the first floor. For a short time in the early 1960s, well-known physician Dr. George B. Lennox occupied the second floor. Today, the building is home to two minority businesses: a barbershop on the first floor and a radio station, 95.7 The Boss, on the second floor.
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