After nearly a year-long break, Chicago YIMBY’s Sister Cities series returns with a closer look at the skyline-defining Mutual of Omaha tower in Omaha, Nebraska. Announced back in 2022, the skyscraper is one of the tallest structures rising in the U.S. outside of New York, Chicago, or Miami. Efforts are being led by the company along with Omaha-based developer Lanoha.
New Mutual of Omaha tower by Ian Achong
Mutual of Omaha Tower
The 677-foot tower will become the new apex of downtown, rising at 215 South 15th Street. The 44-story structure was designed by Connecticut-based architecture firm Pickard Chilton, which also worked on Chicago’s River Point tower. The central tower will be flanked by two 15-story mid-rises clad in the same material, creating a block-wide podium.
New Mutual of Omaha tower by Ian Achong
These flanking structures will include retail space along with 2,200 parking spaces within a massive garage. Both will be capped by large outdoor decks connected to a multi-level sky lobby within the tower which will feature conference space, a fitness center, dining options, a tech concierge, and other wellness services.
New Mutual of Omaha tower by Ian Achong
The building will feature 15-foot-tall ceiling heights and roughly 800,000 square feet of office space. This will be fully occupied by Mutual of Omaha and will include a two-story atrium on the 44th floor with additional conference space. The structure will be capped by an illuminated crown and will become the tallest building in Nebraska and the broader multi-state region.
New Mutual of Omaha tower by Ian Achong
The development was originally expected to cost around $433 million but has since ballooned to over $600 million. This was partially funded through more than $60 million in TIF support from the city. Construction has officially topped out, led by contractor J.E. Dunn, with glass installation and interior build-outs closely following. Move-ins are expected later this fall.
DUO residential conversion (left) – streetcar (forefront) – HQ tower podium (right) by Ian Achong
Surrounding Developments
To understand the impact of the tower, we must look at many of the ongoing projects around. Some of which predate the new HQ, and some that have also come from it.
One of the largest being the new $421 million Omaha Streetcar, announced alongside the tower and slated for completion in 2028, with construction already well underway. The streetcar will connect downtown to midtown, linking Mutual of Omaha’s current historic headquarters to the west with the new tower to the east.
View of skating ribbon by Ian Achong
View of Missouri River overlook by Ian Achong
The tower will also serve as a new bookend to Gene Leahy Mall, a large urban park stretching toward the Missouri River with multiple play and performance spaces, including a skating ribbon rebuilt in 2022. Nearby, the 17,500 seat CHI Arena and adjacent convention center is also expanding by 94,000 square-feet across 25 conference-rooms, to be completed in 2027.
DUO residential conversion by Ian Achong
Directly behind the new tower are two existing wedge-shaped office buildings. The 17-story structures are currently being converted to residential use, with a new 12-story rear addition. This project will include new penthouse spaces, six floors of parking, and over 700 units, half of which will be considered affordable. The developer has also credited the streetcar as a catalyst.
New Omaha Central Library by HDR
Additional projects continue to reshape the area. The former Omaha Central Library was demolished to make way for the new HQ tower, with a replacement library having opened in a new three-story building. Meanwhile, the city’s airport is undergoing a full rebuild and expansion, including international gates, a centralized terminal, and modernized facilities.
Historic Mutual of Omaha HQ by Ian Achong
Former Mutual of Omaha HQ
As the company shifts downtown, the future of its existing Midtown campus is also in the works.
The multi-building complex is anchored by a 14-story Art Deco-style structure built in the 1940’s, which includes a three-story underground employee cafeteria capped by a glass dome built in the 1970s. In total, the campus contains over 1.2 million square feet of space, meaning the move to the new tower represents a significant reduction in office footprint.
Historic Mutual of Omaha HQ by Ian Achong
Beyond the main building, the campus includes additional office structures, three parking garages, and various surface lots. All of these will be sold to Lanoha, the same developer of the new tower. They plan to preserve and adaptively reuse much of the existing building stock, introducing residential and other uses while adding new buildings as demand grows.
Historic Mutual of Omaha HQ by Ian Achong
It is worth noting that when the tower was first announced, Mutual of Omaha had planned to retain the Midtown campus. Its full transition away from the site underscores the scale of change now underway.
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Thanks to all for reading our Sister Cities series, we look forward to covering more cities in the region in the future. Please let us know any additional request!
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the first image makes it look… nevermind good for omaha
Oh I know, that’s why I’m down here in the comment section 😀
Quite the streeeeetch for a Sister City.
Is this where Ian went off to?