Keeline Building, Omaha

The Keeline Building is a historic seven-story commercial structure in downtown Omaha. Developed by Oscar Keeline and completed in 1911 at an approximate cost of $200,000, it replaced a private residence with street-level retail space and six upper floors of professional offices. Its construction coincided with the neighboring Douglas County Courthouse, helping transform the surrounding area from a residential neighborhood into a civic and commercial center.

Designed by prominent local architect John Latenser Sr., the building is recognized as an example of Georgian Revival architecture with Chicago/Prairie School Commercial influences. Its red brick exterior features a symmetrical composition, classical detailing, and a decorative Sullivanesque terra-cotta crown above the top floor. The property underwent a substantial modernization in 1959 by the Leo A. Daly Company and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Most recently, a $6.8 million historic-preservation rehabilitation was completed in 2023. Supported by public financing and tax credits, the project transformed the building into a modern private office complex while preserving its historic exterior, original mosaic tile floors, and distinctive architectural character.

Although it now functions primarily as office space rather than a public attraction, visitors can appreciate its carefully restored façade and architectural details from the surrounding streets as an example of Omaha’s early 20th-century commercial development.