A new 6,500-seat soccer stadium in downtown Omaha is one step closer to breaking ground following an important approval last month.
Union Omaha, the city’s professional soccer team, plans to build the stadium as the anchor of a 20-acre entertainment district in north Downtown. The City Council last month unanimously approved $48 million in tax-increment financing for the $332 million project.
The development will rise on a largely unused site at 1101 Izard St. that was purchased by the city from Union Pacific Railroad. When complete, project leaders envision a modern open-air stadium, new housing, retail and public green space that connects the city’s north downtown.
Councilman Pete Festersen called the project a major investment.
“A $332 million reinvestment in our city, downtown and in a property that’s been hard to redevelop in the past and is literally the front door of our community,” Festersen said.
Councilman Brinker Harding also voted to approve the tax-increment funding request while expressing some unease around potential cleanup costs of the property.
The city will be responsible for environmental remediation on the site, but city staff cannot confirm the total remediation costs until the purchase is complete.
In addition to being the home stadium for Union Omaha, it also would be the future home of a women’s professional soccer team and a youth soccer academy.
Omaha Mayor John Ewing called the development “huge” for the city when announcing the project last year.
“The stadium and surrounding district would offer another reason to live, work and play downtown, strengthening our urban core,” Ewing said. “It will be an engine for jobs, housing, entertainment and urban living. It demonstrates what’s possible when public and private partners share a vision for growth that benefits the entire community.”
Union Omaha plans to break ground later this year, with the stadium expected to be completed in time for the 2028 season.