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The decision by Kiewit Corporation to build a new corporate headquarters on two blocks near TD Ameritrade Park gives a tremendous boost to downtown Omaha’s momentum.

The move adds steam to the recent condo building boom in the Capitol District and urgency to local discussions about reviving Omaha’s riverfront as a regional destination.

The announcement also moves Omaha beyond the 2015 decision by ConAgra to take its corporate headquarters to Chicago.

A key lesson of ConAgra’s move, whether or not it could have been stopped, was the need for local, state and economic development officials to regularly engage local employers.

Governments and local boosters must be proactive to understand the wants and needs of such anchor businesses. Leaders applied those lessons with Kiewit, and the city and its urban core will be better for it. Kiewit is a big fish — last year this local business titan recorded $8.6 billion in revenues.

The company’s move will help connect the eastward marching campus of Creighton University with the sprawling hotel and entertainment district that built up around CenturyLink Center Omaha. This encouraging resurgence will create promising opportunities for north downtown.