In one of the most impactful leases signed this year in the Omaha, Nebraska, area, the popular Big Grove Brewery committed to open a new micro-brewery and taproom in the Catalyst UNMC development just west of the University of Nebraska Medical campus in Omaha.
The new space will include a brewery, patio, private event space, and a classic taproom. By bringing entertainment and dining to the neighborhood, the deal at 4601 Catalyst St. in Omaha is expected to help revitalize the Saddle Creek Road area and enhance its appeal as a vibrant mixed-use corridor that is now predominantly institutional and healthcare tenants.
The transaction earned a 2025 CoStar Impact Award for lease of the year in Omaha/Council Bluffs, as judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
About the deal: Getting Des Moines, Iowa-based Big Grove to expand into Omaha required patience. Officials eventually agreed to sign a lease in Nebraska after touring the area multiple times. The brewery is expected to open this spring in the 170,000-square-foot Catalyst building, making an area centerpiece even more dynamic, market observers say.
What the judges said: Adding a brewery is "a good example for what other projects could become with a little creativity," said Ryan Ellis, CEO & owner of PJ Morgan Real Estate.
The lease is "a game-changing addition to Midtown," said Jessica Moline, director of market research for Colliers Nebraska.
They made it happen: A brokerage team at OMNE Partners that included Vice President Alicia Miller, Associate Broker Anna Goeschel and Executive Vice President Matthew Edney represented the tenant. TJ Twit Jr., executive director of investment services and Dylan McCabe of Cushman Wakefield | The Lund Co. represented the project's landlord K&C Management.