Wikipedia’s Aksarben Village History
After the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben turned over the land to Douglas County in the 1990s, the county first tried to keep the horse track and coliseum open, but both failed. The land was then turned over to the Aksarben Future Trust who now owns the land. On June 26, 2005, plans were announced to turn the land into a pedestrian friendly mixed-use development combined with the south campus of University of Nebraska Omaha, Aksarben Campus, and the already built First Data Campus. Construction began in 2006 and the first businesses began to open in 2008. Aksarben is Nebraska spelled backwards.
Aksarben Village is home to some of Omaha’s major companies. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska has built and is occupying a 10-story building that opened in 2010 to house their headquarters. First Data built two office buildings there in the mid-2000s. Other business that have opened offices include DLR Group, Grubb & Ellis/Pacific Realty, and Olsson Associates.
Several restaurants such as Jones Bros. Cupcakes, Godfather’s Pizza and Juice Stop have opened, as well as a bank, a Voodoo Taco, a Spirit World wine and liquor seller, a hair salon, and multiple bars and lounges. Two apartment complexes are located in Aksarben Village, Broadmoor and Pinhook Flats & CUE, named in reference to the historic horse track which used to occupy the land. Together the apartments add over 600 housing units to the development. A 135-room Marriott Hotel opened in 2008. In December 2010, Aksarben Cinema a 10-screen movie theater opened and Genesis Health Club fitness center opened in the same complex. Mojo Steakhouse and Ales, a full-service restaurant and bar opened in late spring of 2011 in the same complex.
The University of Nebraska Omaha has built their south campus, Aksarben Campus, at the north end of Aksarben Village. The university has added 10, three story dormitory buildings, Scott Village, which opened in 2003 and houses 480 units. The Scott Technology Center and the Peter Kiewit Institute are world class educational and research facilities that partner with UNO and are located on campus. The university has also built the new Baxter Arena at the south end of Aksarben Village. Within Aksarben Village, Stinson park, a multi-acre neighborhood and community park has been built named after former Knights of Aksarben chairman Kenneth E. Stinson.