North Corps sees Phase 2 of renovation-and-expansion project move forward
By Joe Harris /
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OMAHA, Neb.—For nearly two years, Lueder Construction has been working on a $30-million renovation and expansion project at The Salvation Army of Omaha North Corps Community Center near 24th and Manderson streets.
The effort will almost triple the building’s size, and North Corps general manager Brittany Parker says the progress crews have made so far is impressive.
"It's truly amazing,” she said. “To see where we started and where we are and where we're going is transformational."
Project engineer Josh Rehn, of Lueder Construction, said building signage was recently put up near the entrances at the end of the project’s first phase.
"I feel proud [of] what we did for Phase 1,” he said, referring to the new-construction part of the project, which centers around an addition to the north side of the campus that opened in the fall of 2025. “I see [North Corps] having basketball games in there all the time. I see they have events in there also."
Phase 2 is currently underway at North Corps – and it focuses on renovating the old building on the south end of the campus.
“The old roof was taken off,” Rehn said. “We're going to be doing new roofs throughout this entire old building.”
His crews are making progress on the gym in the old building’s southwest corner.
"The electricians are working on rough-ins, so that's your lighting, power,” Rehn said. “They're working on that right now. And then they're going to be doing roofing, and we're building walls in the other two areas."
He said they will also put down rubber flooring in that area.
"It's going to end up having basketball lines painted on it, and we're going to have two basketball hoops on the east and west end.”
Rehn said the renovated gym will not only be the main area for feeding people as part of the daily free lunch program at North Corps, but it will also serve as an overflow space in case the new gym—already completed as part of Phase 1—is being used.
On the southeast portion of the campus, Rehn said a subcontractor has started work to build new classrooms, conference rooms, and bathrooms.
"They're starting from the east—so that old existing chapel—they're starting on those walls and they're going to make their way over towards this gym area,” he said.
"They'll be followed up directly behind by the plumbers and the electricians with getting their power and rough-ins in the walls. And then, we're going to start [putting up] drywall on the walls and get some paint.”
Parker said with everything Lueder Construction has completed so far, North Corps is seeing a lot of activity nowadays.
“Skills training with basketball, we have different teams that utilize the gym,” she said. “So that's gaining access to youth being able to participate in basketball. And then also we've been able to do rentals again and have been seeing an increase in rentals for different types of events."
She added that the new weight room has gotten use, as well.
Rehn said his team still needs to put in several sidewalks, but weather conditions during the winter season are not cooperating.
Regardless, he is looking forward to seeing Phase 2 through to completion.
"When we get done with this side, they're going to have even more room and space and opportunity to continue their mission,” he said.