NEBRASKA CITY – Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce organized a ribbon cutting Friday for the first city-led housing project in Nebraska City’s 171-year history calling it a celebration of collaboration.

Allgood: “It’s important to build houses, we all know that. We’ve all been through this for years. We’re showing that our town is putting skin in the game.”

NCTC’s Amy Allgood said the collaboration between economic development of the Nebraska City brought the idea to fruition, but state expertise and Southeast Nebraska Development District were also essential.

Cole Hartgerink of Southeast Nebraska Development District thanked the city staff and  Nebraska Department of Economic Development for its support.

 

Hartgerink: “Together over the past couple of years we’ve been able to build seven of these properties and now we have an eighth on the way and so we are excited to keep the momentum going.”

Mayor Bryan Bequette credited Clint and Kim Kreifels for a benevolent offer on the land for the housing project and described Dan Mauk of economic development and Marty Stoval of the city staff as the sled dogs that pulled the team.

 

 

Bequette: “We needed to start working on affordable housing in a meaningful way. When we visit businesses and we meet new folks coming into town they always say it would’ve been nice to live here, not just work here, but, with the housing stock, we just couldn’t find anything.”

Mauk: “As a community we took the risk to build this subdivision. I think, if you looked around the State of Nebraska, there were not a lot of communities that had the willingness to address the housing needs at this scale, particularly not a community of this size. I think it’s a risk that is going to pay off.”

He subdivision planners had expected about four houses a year, but Nebraska City has four complete and will have another finished this summer. There are three additional lots that are purchased with construction planned this summer.

Mauk: “Our organization is going to continue to build over there, the city is going to continue to build, so it’s a combination of all. The private sector is stepping in since we made this doable.”

Mauk, who led a workforce housing project in North Platte before coming to Nebraska City, said public-led housing developments are an encouragement to the private sector. In Nebraska City, a private developer has built and sold a house across the street from the city-built house and there is a private developer next door.

Mauk: “The ball is just starting to roll, but it’s going to continue to roll.”

Jerad Reimers of Congressman Adrian Smith’s staff introduced Amy Mincer of the congressman’s new Nebraska City office.

Mauk offered his gratitude for State Sen. Bob Hallstrom and  his efforts to protect funding for workforce housing.