City officials announced plans to build a multi-purpose complex at Levi Carter Park near Eppley Airfield, leveling the playing field across the city for accessible sports facilities. The combined community center and sports complex, located near N 12th Street and Carter Boulevard, is planned to be home to basketball courts, soccer fields, volleyball courts, a fitness center, and more — equipped with high-speed internet, classrooms, and space for telehealth services.
"This is a community that has not been served like other places in Omaha," said Jacquelyn Morrison, a member of Mayor Jean Stothert's office. "There are facilities in Council Bluffs, there are facilities that are in West Omaha, but we really don't have this type of facility east of 72nd Street." Morrison and the city's parks department applied for separate grants totaling $45 million. City council is expected to vote on funding approval next week.
Omaha city officials are considering two grants they say will change the future of Levi Carter Park. “The first grant is $35 million and it’s through the Coronavirus Capital Project Fund,” Thomas Warren, Mayor’s Chief of Staff said. “The second grant for $10 million dollars is through the North Omaha Recovery Grants program.” The money would go towards building a 90-thousand sq ft. outdoor sports facility with soccer fields, basketball, and volleyball courts. It would also have classroom space with learning labs.
A new City of Omaha community and athletic complex will open next year, offering facilities for education, recreation, health and wellness, employment, and youth athletics in northeast Omaha.
Construction will begin next month on the Levi Carter Park Activity and Sports Complex in Levi Carter Park, on the north shore of Carter Lake.
The 114,625 square foot building includes the largest basketball facility in Omaha; the 10 indoor basketball courts can be converted to 14 volleyball courts. Additional features are a computer lab, a classroom for distance learning, medical exam and tele-health rooms, a community meeting space, a fitness facility, and a wrestling room. The outdoor space includes four artificial turf soccer fields, new picnic shelters, a grand lawn, and a designated food truck area.
The comment section negativity on this from Millard and Elkhorn West Omahans was mind boggling and staggering yesterday.
"Seriously Omaha. You're putting this in Iowa? Isn't this something the state of Iowa should be doing?"
"spending my tax money on the fringe of the city, I see. What a waste."
"I don't even know where this is, are we sure this is in Omaha?"
Yikes. You can really tell the people that exist solely in their suburban bubble.
This actually should be pretty great. I'd imagine that it would be beneficial to bring more hotels to the airport area and a need to use them as well. I would think with all of these fields and courts, it would allow you to draw more regional youth sports tournaments without forcing those people to rent a car and drive all the way to the La Vista complex. But, what do I know?
Maybe Brittany and Chad in Elkhorn are right, "It's not in my neighborhood, so it's a waste. Will anyone ever think of West Omaha? It's tooooo farrrrrrrr!!!!!1"
omaha79 wrote: Thu Apr 10, 2025 9:33 am
"spending my tax money on the fringe of the city, I see. What a waste."
lol, to me Millard and Elkhorn West are the 'fringe of the city". The only trips I have to plan out for my shitty electric car are if I need to go to Kansas City, and if my nephew has a weekend basketball tournament at the UBT center in Elkhorn.
Glad to see any development in the city, but especially at this end of town.
omaha79 wrote: Thu Apr 10, 2025 9:33 am
"spending my tax money on the fringe of the city, I see. What a waste."
This is absolutely hilarious coming from people living in suburbs on the actual sprawled out fringe of the city. The selfishness from the people that are most well off continues to astound me. God forbid an amenity get built in any other part of the city.
I think part of this is the verbiage being used. If this was completely in Carter Lake proper….yes, it’s Iowa’s responsibility and we shouldn’t be paying a cent. But for something on the border, there’s more of a justification.
I don’t see this as a suburban vs urban as much as it is a “is Omaha paying for something that’s completely within the borders of another state….?”
NEDodger wrote: Thu Apr 10, 2025 12:00 pm
I think part of this is the verbiage being used. If this was completely in Carter Lake proper….yes, it’s Iowa’s responsibility and we shouldn’t be paying a cent. But for something on the border, there’s more of a justification.
I don’t see this as a suburban vs urban as much as it is a “is Omaha paying for something that’s completely within the borders of another state….?”
Stupidity is not an excuse. People have access to maps.
NEDodger wrote: Thu Apr 10, 2025 12:00 pm
I think part of this is the verbiage being used. If this was completely in Carter Lake proper….yes, it’s Iowa’s responsibility and we shouldn’t be paying a cent. But for something on the border, there’s more of a justification.
I don’t see this as a suburban vs urban as much as it is a “is Omaha paying for something that’s completely within the borders of another state….?”
Stupidity is not an excuse. People have access to maps.
Absolutely. It's not up to people in a comment section to teach you things that you should have learned in a 5th grade civics class if you were from the metro area.
I just think with the Eppley terminal modernization along with this youth sports complex, maybe a soccer stadium in north downtown, and the overall makerhood, you could see a need for more development on Abbott from 10th to the airport and that can only be a good thing. Currently, it's just kind of a seedy little stretch with a couple hotels that only get used for distressed travellers, Berkshire, and the CWS. Time to change that.
