OMAHA — A youth sports facility has come up as another potential use as part of a North Omaha business park site to be developed with help from a $90 million state grant. Described as an indoor-outdoor multipurpose complex for “soft turf” sports — such as football, soccer, softball and baseball — the possible project […]
Michael Maroney of the Omaha Economic Development Corp. speaks to community members about one of three sites the OEDC-led private development team is seeking to buy for a business park project funded in part by a $90 million state grant. The developer, working with the Omaha Inland Port Authority on the initiative, hosted a community meeting Wednesday night to seek input on the sites and potential uses. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)
OMAHA — A youth sports facility has come up as another potential use as part of a North Omaha business park site to be developed with help from a $90 million state grant.
Described as an indoor-outdoor multipurpose complex for “soft turf” sports — such as football, soccer, softball and baseball — the possible project would rise at the Enterprise Park near 16th and Locust Streets, a tract that had previously been downplayed because of environmental cleanup costs.
That area is one of three sites that a development team working with the Omaha Inland Port Authority is seeking to acquire for use as business parks. A community meeting was held Wednesday night to discuss the locations and to get input on what uses the community prefers at each.
Purchases by mid-February
Michael Maroney of the Omaha Economic Development Corp., which leads the private development team working with the port authority, said his team is moving to acquire all three sites. But nothing is final. He said purchases should be made by mid-February.
Maroney was pleased by the turnout of about 75 people and believes the community is getting excited for what is to come.
“We got good feedback,” he said. “We wanted to keep an open mind.”
For those attending the meeting at the Highlander Accelerator campus in North Omaha, the development team laid out possible uses at the three sites.
The other two tracts and possible uses:
- A 13-acre site centered by a new 150,000-square-foot warehouse and 148-stall surface parking area at 5906 Abbott Drive likely would be leased to commercial tenants. Possible operations include a food hall, offices and event center. The development team compared its possible use to the multi-tenant Ashton Building in the Millwork Commons district in north downtown.
- A roughly eight-acre site west of North 16th Street and north of John J Pershing Drive could be used for housing manufacturing, trucking and warehousing or other light industrial uses, said Garry Clark, executive director of the port authority.
Neighboring sports complexes
The site envisioned as space for the sports complex also would contain an area for commercial businesses to settle, said George Achola, another representative of the private development team.
He said the location seems ideal for a youth sports facility that would complement another rising nearby, the $45 million Levi Carter Park Activity and Sports Complex along the north shore of Carter Lake in Levi Carter Park.
Achola said that nearby facility, to be owned and maintained by the City of Omaha, is to focus on a different set of sports — volleyball and basketball games played on hard courts. He said the two would mesh nicely.
It is likely, Achola said, that his development team would prepare a shovel ready site and an investor would build and operate the sports facility, but all options would be considered.
Achola believes an athletic facility aligns with the objective of the $90 million in state funding: to generate jobs and income for the North Omaha area.
“What North Omaha needs is an economic driver — something that allows people to spend money within the community. That will create jobs,” he said.
Achola pointed to new youth sports facilities in places like Kearney. “A whole economic system grew up around that and those are jobs,” he said.
‘Valuable piece of dirt’
Omaha port authority makes key hires, moves toward $90M state-funded business park project
The Nebraska Legislature directed $90 million from pandemic recovery funding to create a shovel-ready industrial business park. The Department of Economic Development and Gov. Jim Pillen in early 2024 awarded the grant funds to the development team led by Maroney’s Omaha Economic Development Corp., Burlington Capital and Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. State law later was changed to require oversight of the project by the Omaha Inland Port Authority board. And the port authority board earlier this month released necessary funding to purchase the sites.
Asked about cleanup costs at the 16th and Locust Streets site, which was previously used as a dumping area, Achola said that has been a concern. But he said the value of the area is undeniable, as it is close to the airport, a lake, downtown Omaha and perhaps a professional soccer stadium.
“This is going to be one of the few opportunities you have to clean something up and make it an economic driver,” he said. “We’re going to reap the long-term economic benefits of bringing to life a valuable piece of dirt.”
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Category: General Sports
