Heartwood Preserve Garners Major National Award and Citation for Visionary Design and Ecologically Advanced Infrastructure that "Doubles as Art"

Latest of several awards comes as 500-acre multifaceted Omaha landmark coincidentally reaches "full occupancy"

OMAHA, Neb., Sept. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --  Heartwood Preserve, Omaha's 500-acre, mixed-use landmark destination, has received a top national design award for its greenway systems infrastructure that "doubles as art" and an additional award for General Excellence as one of three national finalists in the prestigious Urban Design category in Fast Company's 14^th annual Innovation by Design national competition.

The award and finalist citations honor the visionaries and designers of Heartwood Preserve for their sustainable, environmentally sound creations and overall concept, construction, and completion of one of the nation's largest urban developments. Heartwood Preserve, conceived and built by Applied Underwriters, and designed by its Chairman, Steve Menzies and Chief Designer, Nate Wells, in collaboration with the Berkeley, California-based architectural firm of Meyer Studio Land Architects, led by David Meyer, who contributed to the project's distinctive artistic elements, has coincidentally completed the sale of all of its parcels for development and has earned the applause of Omaha residents, retailers, and the design industry for its unique aesthetics, having earned several awards to date. Honorees were named on September 16^th, alongside Fast Company's Innovation Festival at the Innovation by Design Awards Ceremony & Reception in New York City.

One of the nation's top design awards, Fast Company's annual winners are published in the magazine for its national audience of academic and business leaders in its current edition. The awards underline the visionary framework that guided the project, led by Steve Menzies and his team, whose collaborative ideas and creative energies drove the project, distinguishing it among the hundreds of entries seeking recognition for design, functionality, originality, cultural impact,  logic, and beauty.

According to Mr. Menzies, Heartwood Preserve is especially honored to have been chosen among so many entities: "We have won several awards in the past, but none as prestigious as this accord acknowledging the complex design problems undertaken by our Company, including our greenway system whose features include many remarkable aspects of environmental innovation, such as its 80-acre network of water retention basins which form both a monumental public artwork installation and climate infrastructural design and its fourteen meticulously crafted retention water basins were designed to prevent erosion, detain water, recharge aquifers, and protect Heartwood and its neighbors on adjacent properties from extreme weather events, strengthening existing ecosystems and creating new ecologies as migratory birds and other passing animals establish homes and fortify ecological networks, among several other features. We created the greenway system to address the necessity of climate adaptation, since Heartwood Preserve lies within a watershed that has been ravaged by storms—particularly felt in Eastern Nebraska and the Greater Omaha metropolitan area in 2019—when the area was devastated by unprecedented flooding that caused more than $3 billion in damages."

Mr. Meyer highlighted that the 14 large, sculptural limestone basins, which can store as much as 55 million gallons of water—the equivalent of 55 large municipal water towers—form a flood-control system that is not meant to be hidden away: "We created infrastructure that is itself art while capturing every drop of water that lands on 500 acres and collecting it before it leaves the site, helping the downstream community. The site sits in a watershed at risk of flooding; in 2019 alone, Nebraska experienced major losses from catastrophic floods, so we set aside 80 acres for green space to give the public more access to nature and to house the basins."

Reflecting on the unique park-like quality of Heartwood Preserve, Mr. Meyer praised the economic model that allowed for a significant allotment of land to greenways while maximizing the total value of land for sale: "While most developers build on every square inch of land, to his credit, Applied's Chairman, Steve Menzies, set out to protect it and really create something extraordinary—a fact that was well noted by Fast Company."

Mr. Menzies, who holds a degree in engineering from Columbia University, noted that winning entries are selected according to Fast Company's criteria inasmuch as they "solve crucial engineering and design problems relevant to the current moment, demonstrating thoughtful design with clear impact and a strong connection to cultural and societal needs: "From the very beginning of the project, we have looked to recruit true talent and real creativity, and in receiving this award and in being cited as finalists in the General Excellence in Urban Design category, we are pleased insofar as we have fulfilled the promise of Heartwood Preserve to our neighbors, the people of Omaha, Heartwood residents and businesses in the multiuse Preserve and we're gratified that the work of our design staff and David Meyer has also been recognized by the American Architecture Awards, among the most distinguished architectural awards in the U.S., the American Society of Landscape Architects Northern CA Chapter Honors Award, the American Planning Association's Award for Excellence in Sustainability and Architecture's Master Prize for Large Scale Projects. We are all quite proud of what has been created on a large, long-vacant terrain in West Omaha."

News of the awards came on the heels of Heartwood Preserve's achievement of full occupancy, according to Mr. Menzies: "It was a pleasant coincidence signifying to us that we have met our goals economically as well as aesthetically, making the project a total success as a recreational, shopping, living, and working landmark, fully sold out and committed for construction and occupancy in just five years after the former Boys Town property began to be cleared. Because we provided the financing for  this project, we had the flexibility to pivot and adapt to changing economic conditions before and after the pandemic. Initially we had blueprinted a significant allocation to retail, but by 2021, that was changed to all mid-sized, high-end corporate office buildings. Whenever and wherever we are deploying our firm's intellectual capabilities, be it problem solving an underwriting method, a claims administration process, or, for Heartwood Preserve, a serious architectural and engineering design challenge, we take great pride in our work. For the Company and our staff, Heartwood Preserve is a way of saying 'thank you' to our neighbors, friends, and fellow businesses that advance the economy of this great city and state."

In 2026 Applied Underwriters will move into its new 250,000 SQ. FT.  operations center on the south side of Heartwood Preserve.

About Heartwood Preserve (www.heartwoodomaha.com)
Located in Omaha, NE, Heartwood Preserve is a 500-acre mixed-use urban development with roughly 80 acres devoted to green space, eight miles of bike paths and open trails and over 10,000 newly planted trees. Offering a wide variety of retail, commercial, residential, and recreational facilities on an environmentally observant landscape, Heartwood Preserve is designed to become a top destination for the greater Omaha area and surrounding region.

Some recent highlights of Heartwood Preserve's development and lifestyle progress:

• September 15, 2025: Fast Company's Innovation by Design Award
• August 11, 2025: Full occupancy realized
• June 30, 2025: Lanoha announces boutique hotel at The Row
  Lanoha gathers a group of uniquely talented designers, architects, and operators to create a bespoke hotel concept: A 160-key hotel under Marriott Bonvoy's Autograph Collection will offer Class A meeting and events spaces, a luxury pool deck, fitness center, and a full-service restaurant and bar open to guests and the public, set to open in 2027.
• June 24, 2025: The Residences at Heartwood Preserve are announced
  One, two and three-bedroom luxury condominiums within three elegant six-story buildings arranged around a central pool with active and passive courtyards and resort-styled amenities.
• April 2024: Mahogany Prime, Charleston's Restaurant, and Starbucks open; Charleston's Restaurant and Mahogany Prime's West Omaha locations relocated from 137th and Dodge to their new homes at Heartwood Preserve.
• July 29, 2024: Apiary Social Club opens
  The private social club features a bar, cigar lounge, spirit tasting events, trips, social events, networking, and philanthropic events.
• August 9, 2024: Olsson announces plans for Heartwood office
  The engineering firm will move their 300+ staff from Aksarben Village to Heartwood Preserve in a four-story office building being developed in partnership with Lanoha Real Estate.
• August 22, 2024: Ovation Heartwood Preserve grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony
  While already operational, Ovation's official grand opening celebrated the completion of the final portion of the development and recovery from the April 2022 fire.
• September 13, 2024: Applied Underwriters, Jackson Group-Berkshire Hathaway Home Services and Arbour Building Group announce The Arbour at Heartwood Preserve, a neighborhood consisting of luxury row homes, single-family homes, and dual-family homes with walkability to Heartwood businesses and green spaces, as well as top-rated Millard schools, marking the first substantial new development in the area in 20 years.
• October 2, 2024: Gunderson's opens at Heartwood Preserve
  The Midwest's premier jeweler and Rolex authorized dealer, moved their only Nebraska location from Village Pointe to Heartwood Preserve.
• October 14, 2024: First Watch opens, offering fresh breakfast, brunch and lunch creations.
• October 15, 2024: Lanoha Real Estate Company breaks ground on The Row
  40 acres of local premium retailers and restaurants, boutique-style storefronts alongside of national brands, 4-star hotel, Class A office space, and luxury residential options.
• November 1, 2024: 30Hop opens
  The Iowa-based brewery opens its first Nebraska location at Heartwood, featuring rotating craft beers on tap, craft cocktails, classic comfort foods and globally-inspired meals.
  

Recent Community Activities 

• September 5, 2025: Habitat for Humanity Omaha's 19th annual Brew Haha
  The event, which featured 80 top breweries and local eateries, set a new 19-year event ticket sales record, which the organization attributes mostly to the excitement of their new home venue at Heartwood Preserve. Every dollar raised helps build strength, stability, and self-reliance for families in Habitat for Humanity Omaha's five-county service area.
• May 15, 2025: Summer Events at Heartwood Park start
  70+ free, fun events open to the community from mid-May through end of August, including trivia nights, art in the park, bubble making, kite flying, live music, food trucks, silent discos, movies, puppy playdates, yoga and group workouts, gardening workshops, and more.
• November 29, 2024: Winterland opens at Heartwood Park
  With free admission, skate sessions, skate rentals, and family-friendly activities, the new ice rink—sponsored by Applied Underwriters—attracted more than 28,000 visitors in 5 weeks.
• August 2024: Summer Saturdays at Heartwood Park
  Free community events every Saturday in August, featuring a DJ, food trucks, yard games, activities, and movies after dark.

SOURCE Applied Underwriters