Gretna Is Growing Fast. Here’s What’s Coming Next.

GRETNA, Neb. — Anyone who has driven through Gretna lately has probably noticed the construction.

But what is happening across the city is bigger than any one new building, shopping center or road project.

Over the next several years, Gretna is expected to add major new retail, health care services, housing, city facilities and transportation infrastructure as one of Sarpy County’s fastest-changing communities continues to grow.

From a new Nebraska Medicine health center and a half-million-square-foot shopping development to a new interstate interchange and the arrival of Nebraska’s first Buc-ee’s, several major projects are moving forward at the same time.

Here’s a look at what is coming and where those projects currently stand.

Gretna Landing brings health care, housing and more

One of the largest projects underway is Gretna Landing, located northwest of Highway 370 and 192nd Street.

Within the larger 132-acre Gretna Landing development, Omaha-based Noddle Companies is developing a 31-acre mixed-use area estimated at approximately $200 million.

Plans include retail and restaurant space, offices and professional services, residential units, entertainment and community gathering areas.

Nebraska Medicine will serve as one of the development’s major anchors.

Its new Gretna Landing Health Center will span approximately 125,000 square feet and is expected to open to patients in the second half of 2027.

Construction is already well underway. Nebraska Medicine marked another construction milestone in June as the building reached new heights.

Once open, planned services include primary and specialty care, orthopaedics and sports medicine, imaging, laboratory services, urgent care, pharmacy services and procedural space.

For Gretna residents, that could mean significantly more medical care available within the community rather than traveling farther into the Omaha metro.

Photo Courtesy: City of Gretna

A half-million square feet of new shopping

Across the Highway 370 corridor, another large development is taking shape.

Officials broke ground in May on the Gretna Crossing Shopping Center at Highway 370 and 192nd Street.

The approximately 70-acre project is planned to include around 500,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

City officials have estimated the development could eventually support approximately 1,400 permanent jobs and generate $50 million in combined sales and property tax revenue for Gretna over a 10-year period.

The project adds another major commercial destination to an area that has already experienced significant development.

A new Community Complex is taking shape

Growth is also changing Gretna’s public facilities.

Construction continues on the new Gretna Community Complex near Gretna Crossing Park.

The more than 60,000-square-foot facility will bring City Hall, Gretna’s adult and children’s library services and community spaces together under one roof.

The city's two existing libraries will be consolidated into a larger library and gathering space. Plans also include meeting areas, a teaching kitchen, maker space, community programming areas and public gathering spaces.

Construction has become increasingly visible throughout 2026. According to the city's project updates, roads have been paved, exterior walls have been framed and work has continued throughout the building.

The project is currently expected to be completed around the end of 2026.

The reason behind the project is closely tied to Gretna’s growth. The city's existing City Hall and library facilities no longer provide the space needed to serve the expanding community.

A new I-80 interchange at 192nd Street

Perhaps one of the most consequential projects for Gretna’s long-term growth isn't a building at all.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation is moving forward with plans for a new Interstate 80 interchange at 192nd Street, southeast of Gretna.

The interchange would sit between the existing Highway 370 and Highway 31 interchanges.

NDOT selected the location after studying traffic patterns, projected growth, safety, infrastructure and potential community impacts.

The agency says the new interchange is intended to address congestion, improve safety and provide additional access to the rapidly developing portion of Sarpy County.

Gretna and Sarpy County are already preparing surrounding roads for that future connection.

Plans include improvements to 192nd Street between Highway 370 and the future interchange, along with Capehart Road extending toward 204th Street.

Those projects will include paving and urbanizing roads that will eventually carry significantly more traffic.

Utility relocations are expected to begin this fall, with road construction currently scheduled to begin in November 2026 and continue through 2027.

Photo Courtesy of Nebraska Department of Transportation

And yes, Buc-ee’s is coming

One of the most talked-about developments in Gretna is also one of the most recognizable.

Buc-ee’s is moving forward with plans for its first Nebraska travel center near Interstate 80 and Highway 31.

In late July, the Gretna City Council approved a development agreement connected to the project, another major step toward bringing the Texas-based travel center to the Nebraska Crossing Good Life District.

Current plans call for a project exceeding $100 million.

The Buc-ee’s development is significant enough to warrant a closer look of its own, including the public incentives involved, infrastructure improvements, expected jobs and what still needs to happen before construction begins.

We’ll be taking a deeper look at that project separately.

Growth also means more roads and construction

The new I-80 interchange isn't the only transportation project affecting the area.

Gretna and northwest Sarpy County have multiple road projects underway or planned as local governments work to accommodate increasing traffic and development.

For residents, that means the transformation of Gretna won't happen without some growing pains.

Road construction, closures, utility work and changing traffic patterns are likely to remain part of daily life as several projects move forward simultaneously.

The larger question will be whether infrastructure can keep pace with the residential and commercial development happening around it.

Gretna is becoming a different kind of community

Gretna has long benefited from its location between Omaha and Lincoln, but the development underway now could change how often residents need to leave the community for everyday services.

More health care, shopping, restaurants, employment opportunities, public services and transportation connections are being built within Gretna itself.

The city currently lists its population at 9,054. For comparison, the 2020 U.S. Census counted 5,083 residents.

Population numbers alone don't tell the entire story, particularly following annexation and boundary changes, but the physical transformation happening across Gretna is difficult to miss.

By the end of 2027, residents could be looking at a considerably different Highway 370 corridor, a new civic center, expanded medical care and major new transportation infrastructure, with still more development following behind it.

For now, much of that future can already be seen from the road.

It's under construction.

By Kelly Bohlman | Let’s Really Talk Nebraska