Almost ten years after being annexed by the city of Omaha, the Elkhorn area continues to grow and develop.
One of the latest additions to the area is a shopping strip along 204th street. Business owners say they chose that location because it’s a growing area they expect to expand in the next few years.
Nebraska Orthopaedic was one of the first businesses to open at the end of February. Despite the lack of businesses around, employees say they feel the area is a promising location.
”There’s definitely a lot of traffic on 204th street so I think it’s very visible from the street. We’ve had a lot of curious people coming in to see what we’re all about,” says Amy Hoffman, a physical therapist at Nebraska Orthopaedic.
Councilman Rich Pahls says he expects the area to grow tremendously from 204th and Dodge Street all the way to Gretna.
”As you go down the highway, eventually this is going to be a corridor for businesses. In a few years from now, the population of businesses will be unbelievable,” says Pahls.
He says the larger the city gets, the better Omaha will be economically.
Pahls says the city's growth is really coming West, much of it which has not been annexed by the city. He adds that it will be someday when the area becomes more profitable with thriving businesses.
Some residents say they appreciate the business development because it keeps them from traveling to downtown.
Pahls says the city will announce new areas that will be annexed in the next month or so.
