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New Sports Complex!
Coming Soon to this location
Purpose Statement for Nebraska City Sports Complex
Purpose: Nebraska City’s GREAT foundation: Growing Regional Economic Activity Today [GREAT], a 501c3 corporation associated with Nebraska City Area Economic Development, has been working with city officials, and volunteers to develop a sports complex for the past two years. The funds would be used to assist with construction and development of a new sports complex with soccer fields and baseball fields and related amenties.
Project: The sports complex will be built on a twenty-nine (29) acre site at 1419 North 19th Street, Nebraska City. The plans include four (4) ball fields and four (4) soccer fields, concession, maintenance and storage buildings, restrooms and parking. GREAT will be the managing organization and operator of the facility.
The playing fields are needed for the more than 800 local youth to practice and compete. The economic activity associated with youth sports teams has been missing here, due to a lack of playing fields. High-quality recreational fields are amenities that will attract and retain young families to Otoe County.
Our sports complex committee with staff from GREAT have raised (recived?) $380,000 so far from individuals and local family foundations for this project. The fundraising was interupted by the CoVid-19 pandemic. Another $225,000 in pledges from private foundations will be received over the next three (3) years to complete the $600,000 land purchase.
Applications will be made to regional, national, state and federal sources over the next five years to fully develop the fields and amenities. GREAT’s goal is to avoid using local property taxes for this project.
Economic Development: Additional playing fields will allow tournaments, with an estimated 14,000 visitors, to be hosted in Nebraska City each year. Visiting team’s spending will benefit our local food, lodging, and fuel merchants, and generate sales and lodging taxes. Each visiting player brings an equivalent of 2.3 family members along with them.
Having additional high-quality playing fields can be a strong attractor for families. Today’s young families have expectations that include access to recreation and wellness facilities. Improving our youth sports programs and facilities may encourage some of the 2,300 daily in-bound commuters to move their families to Nebraska City. This will be a boost to our County and City tax base, our businesses, schools, churches, social organizations and more.
Leadership. GREAT has been working with citizens, coaches, parents, and players since 2017 to plan for the development of a sports complex. GREAT and our Sports Complex Committee members have extensive financial experience, and have been involved in developing multi-million dollar projects. There is also unanimous support from Nebraska City’s Youth Soccer Association, Baseball Association, Softball Association and Jay-Cees ball program. Committee members include representatives from the City Council, City Administration, City Parks and Recreation, Nebraska City Public Schools, Lourdes Central Catholic Schools, Nebraska City Area Economic Development, and Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce.