Parks and Recreation Director Todd McCoy addresses the Grand Island City Council at the March 26 meeting, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND — Grand Island’s City Council reviewed five redevelopment plans at their meeting Tuesday, March 26.
The sites are: second floor of Yancey Building at 123 N. Locust St. (Condominium 201A); 603 E. Division St.; Legacy subdivision west of Prairieview Street and north of Husker Highway; Legacy 34 development for apartment buildings, north of Husker Highway and west of Prairieview Street; and Murphy Tractor location north of Wildwood Drive and west of U.S. Highway 281.
The first plan is to redevelop Condominium 201A in the Yancey Building at 123 N. Locust St. into office space. Paramount Development has purchased the condominium for $40,000. They estimate that TIF eligible expenditures for the project including site acquisition, rehab, application, and legal fees will exceed $458,000. They are seeking $143,409 in Tax Increment Financing over a 20 year period. The location is in an area that has been declared extremely blighted. The plan was approved by a 9-1 vote, with Councilman Doug Lanfear voting against the motion.
The second plan is to replace a home at 603 E. Division St. with a three-unit apartment building. Paramount Development purchased the property for $70,000. They estimate that TIF eligible expenditures for the project will exceed $538,000. They are seeking $183,484 in TIF over a 20-year period. The property is in an area that has been declared extremely blighted. The plan was approved by a 10-0 vote.
The third project was consideration of a zoning change for Legacy 34 subdivision located west of Prairieview Street and north of Husker Highway from R2 low density residential to RD residential development zone. An application has been made to rezone approximately 7.6 acres of land. The developers are proposing to build seven apartment buildings (154 units) on the property and one carriage house. The zoning change was approved by a 10-0 vote.
The fourth project was connected to the third project north of Husker Highway and west of Prairieview Street. The plan is to add seven apartment buildings (22 units each). The property was purchased for $109,000. Tif eligible expenses for the project including acquisition, construction of workforce housing, trails, streets, utilities, engineering application and legal fees will exceed $27,296,000. $6,583,849 in TIF funding is being sought over a 15-year period. The project was approved by an 8-2 vote, with councilmembers Doug Lanfear and Chuck Haase voting against the proposal.
The fifth project is at a site on the west side of U.S. Highway 281 and north of Wildwood Drive for an expanded and relocated Murphy Tractor location. The property is directly across the street from the Platte Valley Industrial Park. Developers are proposing to purchase the property for $2,074,000 and estimate that TIF eligible expenditures for the project including acquisition, grading , street, utilities, engineering application and legal fees will exceed $4,505,100. They are seeking $2,210,066 in TIF funding over a 15-year period. The plan was approved by a 10-0 vote.
Next, the council discussed acquiring a property at 708 South Locust Street for a purchase price of $320,000. The location is needed for the improvement of South Locust Street from the intersection of Fonner Park Road to Charles Street. The purchase will allow for geometric improvements at the intersection of South Locust Street and Anna Street. The city and property owner have agreed to a delayed closing of the business at the location to give the business time to relocate, with departure date from the site scheduled in early 2025. “The city plans to pay relocation expenses to the affected business upon them vacating the property,” Public Works Director Keith Kurz wrote in a memo to City Council. City Council approved the project by a 10-0 vote.
The Hartman Family and Crane Trust have submitted a proposed conservation easement for approximately 299 acres of property located east of Locust Street and the Platte Generating Station north of the Platte River along Wildwood Drive. The Crane Trust is interested in acquiring the easement because it is a location for pre-roost staging habitat for sandhill cranes and whooping cranes and because protecting the location is important to preserving high quality crane roosting habitat as well as habitat for other migratory birds. The Council approved the proposal by a 9-1 vote, with Councilman Mark Stelk voting no.
Next, the city has received $150,000 from the Nebraska Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act to be used toward tree projects in disadvantaged areas. The Parks and Recreation Department wants to accept the award to complete a citywide tree inventory and to remove and replace 20 trees in disadvantaged areas. There is no required match for the grant. Work would begin in the summer, and the project would be complete by Sept. 30, 2027.
“Much of our community has been declared as disadvantaged in this program including the areas around Ashley Park, Eagle Scot Park, Lincoln Park, Pier Park and Ryder Park,” Parks and Recreation Director Todd McCoy wrote in a memo to City Council. The city currently does not have a tree inventory. A contractor would complete the tree inventory, which would be used to understand the overall health of trees in the community and prioritize trees for removal and replacement. The City Council voted 9-1 to accept the award, with Councilman Doug Lanfear voting against the motion.
