New Mutual of Omaha Tower slated to become Nebraska’s tallest building

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Mutual of Omaha’s new skyscraper is set to become the tallest building in Nebraska.

The new corporate headquarters will rise to 677 feet, which is 43 feet taller than the First National Bank building - the state’s current tallest building.

Mutual of Omaha says it won’t just be the tallest building in the state, but it will also outmatch the buildings in surrounding states, including Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, South Dakota and Wyoming.

“We’re excited to add to the Omaha skyline and to the energy and vitality of downtown Omaha,” said Mutual Chairman and CEO James Blackledge.

It’s the first big change to downtown Omaha’s skyline in a generation.

According to Mutual of Omaha, the skyscraper will feature roughly 800,000 square feet of space for offices, meeting spaces, collaboration and amenities. That’s roughly half the size of Mutual’s current 1,700,000-square-foot campus.

It will also have a garage with enough room for 2,200 vehicles. The parking garage will fill up the first 15 floors to be used by employees during the workday, and the public during the evenings and weekends.

Floors 16 through 20 will feature a sky lobby with services for employees.

Other highlights include top-floor meeting spaces with 360-degree views of the city, and a street-level atrium open to the public.

Mutual of Omaha says the new building is sized for a “hybrid work model,” with employees working both at the office and at home.

“We have worked closely with our team of architects to create a headquarters that is appropriately sized, designed to foster collaboration and engagement, and adaptable to new ways of working that may emerge in the future,” Blackledge said. “As a customer-focused company, it is also designed to ensure that we serve our policyholders in an effective and efficient manner.”

The new skyscraper will be placed in the current location of Omaha’s now-closed downtown library at the west end of the Gene Leahy Mall near 14th and Farnam.

Mutual of Omaha says its new headquarters is part of a large effort to revitalize Omaha’s urban core. The company says other elements of this long-term effort include the new Gene Leahy Mall and the developing streetcar system.

Construction is set to begin on the new skyscraper in January and it’s estimated to be completed in 2026.

And Omaha isn’t the only city that’s looking into new skyscrapers.

A proposal for a new skyscraper in Lincoln was recently submitted.

Plans for the Lincoln building include 36,000 square feet of office space, 70 luxury apartment units, a pool and cabanas on the 6th floor, and a members-only club on the top floor.

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