# Omaha unveils $120M Malcolm X campus plan on civil rights leader's 101st birthday  
**Published:** 2026-05-20T00:17:45.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/omaha-unveils-120m-malcolm-x-campus-plan-on-civil-rights-leader-s-101st-birthday

On what would have been Malcolm X's 101st birthday, Omaha city leaders revealed ambitious plans to transform the slain civil rights leader's birthplace into a [$120 million mixed-use campus](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/) designed to attract scholars and tourists worldwide.

The transformation of the 20-acre site near 35th and Evans Streets in North Omaha was detailed Tuesday during an event hosted by the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation. [Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr., the city's first Black elected mayor, described the project as a way to put Omaha on the national map while investing in a historically underserved community.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/)

The centerpiece will be a 30,000-square-foot cultural center and museum expected to cost $40 million, [with half the cost covered by a $20 million state grant awarded in 2024.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/) Jonathan Spellman, principal of MX Development Group serving as developer and general contractor, said [design efforts would conclude mid-2027, with groundbreaking expected then and completion within two to three years.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/)

Beyond the museum, the full campus buildout [will include affordable housing, an amphitheater, a financial incubator and a themed hotel.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/) Additional funding will come from a local and national capital campaign bolstered by involvement from Malcolm X's family.

Brenda Council, a former state lawmaker and Omaha City Council member, told attendees the project represents an opportunity to revive Omaha's role as a center for Malcolm X celebrations. [She said the revitalization would help achieve Malcolm X's signature objective of Black economic power, creating local jobs and opportunities for minority-owned contractors.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/)

Malcolm X was [born in Omaha in 1925 and assassinated in 1965.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/) [The foundation managing the site began in 1971 when community activist Rowena Moore donated family-owned lots surrounding the birthplace marker.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/) The site currently consists largely of land, gardens and a former church serving as the foundation's headquarters.

[State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha and former State Sen. Justin Wayne helped secure the $20 million in state funding.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/) Both legislators attended Tuesday's event, which also featured conceptual designs for the future campus and drew roughly 100 community members and officials.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/)
- [Nebraska Public Media report on the $120M Malcolm X cultural center project](https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/120m-malcolm-x-cultural-center-aims-to-make-north-omaha-an-international-destination/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/omaha-leaders-see-120m-transformation-of-malcolm-x-omaha-birthsite-as-global-destination/.