A battle is ratcheting up over who will control nearly $90 million in public funds intended to launch a job-producing business park near Nebraska’s largest airport. In an email this week to some lawmakers, State Sen. Justin Wayne of North Omaha, who helped shepherd the idea through the Legislature, criticized aspects of the proposal believed to be the top contender for the dollars. He’s seeking their help to go a different route.
“That’s insane,” Wayne said of the estimated cost just to get the ground ready. “My concern is, What do we get for the $90 million? Are they even going to build anything vertical? If you don’t have a structure, you don’t have a job.” The team behind the 47-page “master plan” — the Greater Omaha Chamber, Burlington Capital and the nonprofit Omaha Economic Development Corp. — defends its projections. They say Wayne and other legislators were well aware of substantial expenses involved in preparing the area for construction, including property acquisition, cleanup, new roads and utility installation. “The scope of the airport business park concept has always been the development of large, shovel-ready lots,” the team said in a statement. “Our study and planning effort simply updated the cost estimates that the senators had seen previously.”
For decades, economic growth in the northeastern part of Omaha has lagged behind growth in other sections of the city.
On Wednesday, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced plans to help north Omaha make up some ground.
“We’re here to announce $124 million for grants that are going to be dispersed form the State of Nebraska for investments in the airport business park and into the Levi Carter facility,” Pillen said. “They are significant and they’re going to have an incredible impact for generations to come.”
...
Around $90 million of that will fund an airport business park. The site will be located within two miles of Eppley Airfield and will be an economic game changer for northeast Omaha.
...
The city expect it will take about four years to complete the airport business park, but the Levi Carter Community Center shouldn’t take as much time because the city already owns the property.
"We have family over here, family on the next block, family on the next block, family all the way down.” The ties run deep in this neighborhood. "See that's one of my cousins driving down the street,” said Racheal Hoefker. Hoefker has lived in this home since she was born. "My uncle lived here, my aunt lived here, then my mom and dad moved here, my mom and dad now live behind us," Hoefker said. She and Justin Ryley are now raising their three kids here too.
"This is my home,” Hoefker said. It was around Christmas when they heard the news of the Airport Business Park development. According to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, it's a district that would accommodate national manufacturers and local businesses wanting to expand.
sounds like they just needed to communicate better with the community, but from the outside looking in, it seems like this development is much more important to the overall success of north Omaha and it will inevitably happen. Plus, money talks and BS walks, right? Can't make an omelets without breaking some eggs?
in my opinion north Omaha alreadys been thru so much and from an “outside looking in” these are ppls homes and livelihoods. So many times we see In cities the bulldozing of poor communities to build highways or projects and it doesn’t help the actual people in the community. I’d like to know how this directly helps north Omaha and its citizens. Just because something is located there doesn’t mean it’s an overall win. Especially if it displaces the people it’s supposed to help in the process
The bill focused on the Inland Port Authority is on the Governor's desk but what is next for the East Omaha neighborhood in the mapped-out area of the Airport Business Park plan is still unknown. "This neighborhood is everything to me," said Racheal Hoefker, who grew up in this East Omaha neighborhood. It has been nearly two months since developers and state senators met with this neighborhood, which sits in the mapped-out area of the plan, to discuss the state of the Airport Business Park.
Omahayngin wrote: Tue Feb 20, 2024 5:57 pm
in my opinion north Omaha alreadys been thru so much and from an “outside looking in” these are ppls homes and livelihoods. So many times we see In cities the bulldozing of poor communities to build highways or projects and it doesn’t help the actual people in the community. I’d like to know how this directly helps north Omaha and its citizens. Just because something is located there doesn’t mean it’s an overall win. Especially if it displaces the people it’s supposed to help in the process
From my understanding:
Sen. Justin Wayne and the various civic leaders of North Omaha who are putting these projects together have been doing a great job of setting up a future without destroying the history of "their" community.
The appointment of the first-ever Omaha Inland Port Authority board, poised to happen Tuesday, should trigger a start on multiple projects within a roughly 300-acre zone in northeast Omaha. Among initiatives that the new nine-member body — enabled by state law to spur economic development — is expected to oversee:
- A $90 million industrial business park west of Eppley Airfield.
- A $30 million innovation hub.
- Construction of 150 new housing units.
- Hiring of a consultant to “create a vision” for the broader district.
Omaha's inland port authority is closer to reality. The mayor is scheduled to appoint nine people to the Port Authority board. They're in charge of the controversial business park near Eppley Airfield. People around Levi Carter Park continue to protest plans fearful they could be forced to move out. Pastor Sharon Hanna leads the Parkway Church of God. The congregation has been coming together for decades. But over the past half-year, a realtor's been helping them search for a new church.
"We have three acres here, and that's virtually impossible to find another church that has this much space not very many churches are for sale, so we may end up in a commercial building," Hanna said. Hanna and others around Levi Carter Park say they've been left in the dark about the Omaha inland port authority plans since winter when stakeholders first planted the idea of eminent domain to build a business park, housing, and more near the airport. The leader of the Levi Carter Sherman Neighborhood Association believes it is an impactful development that will be great for the city if it's handled well.
People still want answers about eminent domain and Omaha's Inland Port Authority near Levi Carter Park. Mayor Jean Stothert appointed nine board members, who were approved by city council members on Tuesday. A public hearing before the vote was heard from about a dozen opponents who were still unclear about plans to transform the Levi Carter Park area that may resort to eminent domain. People who already live in the underdeveloped area want to know if they can stay.
"Everything has been so vague," said Joseph Fox of the East Omaha Neighborhood Association. The mayor said the city carefully complied with state laws for specific qualifications and residency requirements to ultimately help attract new development and jobs to northeast Omaha by Eppley Airfield.
Nebraska’s largest city on Tuesday installed its first nine-member Inland Port Authority board, following an emotionally charged public meeting where citizens raised concerns including lack of transparency about the appointment process. With City Councilwoman Juanita Johnson opposed, the council voted 5-1 to approve Mayor Jean Stothert’s slate of nominees to lead the board that will oversee economic development in a roughly 300-acre zone of northeast Omaha. Inland ports were created as a tool by the Nebraska Legislature to help spur jobs and business. Lawmakers bestowed powers on such entities, which must be approved by the state as well as the city, that include selling bonds to finance construction and infrastructure within the designated zone.
Shown here is a potential development site of a business and industrial park envisioned west of Eppley Airfield in northeast Omaha. This tract is included within the larger boundaries of the Omaha Inland Port Authority district. (Courtesy of Lamp Rynearson
