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Ames Industrial Park LLC
4411 N. 20th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68110
2821 Caldwell Street, Omaha, NE 68131
Justin A. Moore
Ames Industrial Park LLC
jmoore@spencermanagement.org
+1 (402) 201-8246
Yes
Please see attached Organizational Chart
Please see attached Organizational Chart
JF Bloom Building Redevelopment, Renovation and Restoration 4411 North 20th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68111, Owners: Ames Industrial Park OPPD South Site Renovation Civic Site Work, Demolition, Grading City of Omaha Sewer Separation OPW 53509: Cole Creek CSO 203 City of Omaha Improvements OPW 53948: N. 65th Ave. from Fowler to Ames Ave. OPW 53834: Ames Ave. (85th Ave. to 87th Ave.) / 87th Ave. (Ames Ave. to Boyd Street)
Ames Industrial Park (AIP) – Phases I, II, III
10549312.0
8193312.0
Combination of capital project and service/program
The objective of establishing Ames Industrial Park (AIP) incubators is to accelerate business growth and success and decrease the likelihood of failure. This in turn creates new jobs, diversifies the industrial base, and enhances quality of life in the community. The objectives of AIP are to 1) advance the North Omaha’s revitalization goal of increasing middle-wage jobs through economic growth, 2) help advance the North Omaha Economic Recovery Act objective of promoting small business growth and workforce development in North Omaha, 3) provide an environment that allows North Omaha to take an active role in growing their businesses that will lead to job creation. These new businesses and the new jobs they produce create wealth through multiplier effects and new tax generation, that ultimately benefits the community beyond the individuals directly employed by incubator businesses, and 4) helping businesses get established and rooted in the community, so that after they move out of AIP, they become permanent contributors to the overall vitality, diversity, and growth of the city’s economy. Ames Industrial Park (AIP)’s project is a three-phase development in North Omaha that will bring together entrepreneurs, small and emerging businesses, industrial businesses, mentors, and entrepreneur support organizations. Phase I is a 12,200 square foot facility located on the Southeast Corner of Ames Avenue and Florence Boulevard. Phase II will be a 5,000 square foot warehouse located on the Southeast Corner of Ames Avenue and Florence Boulevard. Phase III will be a 6,900 square foot facility located on the Southeast Corner of 24th and Taylor Streets.
Ames Industrial Park – Phase I • Construction Start Phase I: June 2020 • Project Complete: March 2023 Ames Industrial Park – Phase II • Construction Start Phase II: June 2022 • Project Complete: April 2023 Ames Industrial Park – Phase III • Construction Start Phase III: June 2023 • Project Complete: June 2024 Ames Industrial Park Phases I and II Timelines are included within the application.
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Fundamental Change (i.e., a proposal that will continue to elevate North or South Omaha's presence and perception within the region, significantly improving the lives of area residents through physical development) Long-Lasting Economic Growth (i.e., a proposal that will foster gainful employment opportunities and financial investment in the area, leading to the creation of generational wealth and widespread economic vitality in North and South Omaha) Transformational (i.e., a proposal that will help energize, recharge, or spur significant and favorable advancements in North or South Omaha's function or appearance)
Policy (i.e., develop or improve context-sensitive education, finance, health, training, zoning, etc.) Quality of Life (i.e., create or enhance natural spaces, mixed uses, parks, safety, etc.) Sustainable Community (i.e., create or enhance housing, services, education, civic uses, recreation, etc.)
Ames Industrial Park projects address the following the needs: Sustainable Community: Community incubators can play a critical role in sustainable community. AIP will bring together the skills and expertise necessary to help sustain and grow an economic and social enterprise in North Omaha with business/technical support, economic support, mentor support, workforce training, other financial and business development seminars. AIP will provide affordable space to keep overhead down; While also allowing to rapidly test out new ideas in practice, with quick assessments; allowing for faster learning across a community of entrepreneurs and small businesses; and establishing clear pathways for scaling up the most promising models, methods and projects. AIP’s projects will help not just bring solutions to the problems our community faces but build a stronger economy through Building local owned Businesses! We have identified groups who can get huge benefits from AIP incubators including Small Businesses, Veterans, Youth, and those hit hardest by income inequality in our community. Quality of Life: We believe that an empowered workforce that is representative of the diversity of North Omaha is the key to the creation of the future economy and building a local, sustainable ecosystem. We will have an all-inclusive application process, including but not limited to historically marginalized in the economic sector of women, minorities, persons of low-income, veterans, and members of the LGBTQIA community in North Omaha. This having been said, anyone who is committed to community-oriented outcomes, creating wealth, shared workspace, and a desire to build up our community from within is encouraged to apply for space. Policy: The programming is aimed to help local small business, local entrepreneurs, veterans, youth, and retailers have a location to sell their goods and services, while being able to test new ideas and projects. We will also offer classes in business management teaming up participants with our consultant partners. Through partnerships we will offer services in construction and industrial industries that need skilled employees to help their own business grow. It is also set up to link unemployed, youth at risk and those in need of jobs to training outlets; to train for real job openings locally and resume building. We then match trained job seekers to local companies which have helped in the training based on the companies or business need. By using an AIP workforce training system, we aim to build skill sets and jobs for project managers, general laborers and skilled laborers who can capably maneuver between startups and local businesses. We use the leadership and mentors within the community to build a foundation for success. By linking other programs, consultants, and projects in our community we are able to build foundation of success. With so many great local programs already in existence through creation of a network to support in funding, programs, workforce, and projects. The incubator will be able to promote business innovation and cultivate business entrepreneurs by granting crucial support to start-up and local businesses small to medium sized.
Ames Industrial Park (AIP) project proposal aligns with Visioning Workshop Summary for North Omaha through: 1. Entrepreneur impact: We will implement an effective, sustainable, and measurable system that increases the number and success of North Omaha entrepreneurs and small businesses. 2. Community impact: To increase the number and success of participating entrepreneurs that will have a positive, measurable impact on economic and social aspects of the community. 3. Incubator performance: By providing suitable commercial space at affordable cost for entrepreneurs that is financially sustainable to AIP. Ames Industrial Park’s (AIP) project proposal includes providing valuable context for program goals. 1. SERVICES offered to these businesses will be: a. General Business Training – business plan classes, technical workshops, etc. b. Technical Assistance – legal, on-line capabilities, accounting set up, marketing, build-out assistance, etc. c. Workforce training d. Incubator Space i. Affordability for each business – build out and on-going occupancy ii. Marketing / customer attraction for all businesses iii. Shared business services and facilities (kitchen, copier, wireless, etc.) 2. THE IMPACTS of these services on these businesses, including: a. Increase in business start-ups b. Increase in business sustainability (i.e., strengthened balance sheets) c. Increase number of jobs created d. Increase in business longevity (i.e., vs. average length of 3 years) e. Increase in business gross revenue f. Increase in business owner’s personal income g. Increase in customer base A lack of generational wealth is a large deterrent to entrepreneurs and the startups they seek to create. Early investments typically come from friends and family, and if a founder grows up in a network lacking this generational wealth, they are at a huge disadvantage. Ames Industrial Park (AIP) specifically focuses on historically under resourced entrepreneurs in North Omaha. AIP incubator hubs seek to close this resource gap by providing space, programs, education, workforce training, and mentorship.
The Ames Industrial Park project is: Transformational: Phases I and II will refresh the North 24th Street and Florence Boulevard historic JF Bloom Building and property landscape Phase III will bring new commercial development to blighted land on North 24th and Taylor Streets. Inside, the projects will re-energize entrepreneurship, financial literacy education, workforce, and community connectivity, which will help attract more economic development to North Omaha and close economic disparities that are holding African American and Black residents back. Supportive of Fundamental Change: AIP will be a collaborative project of the North Omaha residents, Ames Industrial Park and other local projects. Our goal is to leverage community power to provide workforce training for qualified employees for existing, just job opportunities and to create local, sustainable jobs in an economically, environmentally, and socially responsible community. To do this, we help community members and small business generate new opportunities for community growth through mentoring and the incubation of local businesses. We believe that doing so requires that we see the entirety of the interconnected ecosystem that supports the North Omaha economy. AIP projects will be a new kind of Community Incubator - we are privately funded and are ourselves a business enterprise. We will help build and support local businesses, non-profits and other community programs. We will use leadership, mentors and linkages between other programs, groups, and projects in our community to build a foundation for success. Because there are so many great local programs already in existence, creating this network provides support for funding, programs, workforce training and projects. Fostering Long-Lasting Economic Growth: The Small Business Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce reports that only 20% of new businesses are still in operation after the first five years due to under-capitalization and lack of proper management skills. In contrast, a series of landmark evaluations of Economic Development Administration (EDA) funded programs revealed that 87% of all incubator businesses remain in business, indicating that business incubation can be a highly effective economic development tool to create wealth and improve community and national competitiveness. The pandemic has also pointed out the over-reliance of Omaha on tourism and the need to grow businesses across key business sectors such as digital tech, clean energy tech, climate tech, health tech, bio tech, and outdoor tech. And while Douglas County is fortunate to have many entrepreneur organizations with the ambition to support entrepreneurs, the many offerings are siloed and disconnected, and have proven difficult for entrepreneurs to navigate. North Omaha needs more jobs now, and historically these jobs have come from startups and small businesses. We believe that now is the time for AIP Incubators to scale and to support North Omaha and regional business growth and job creation. The good news is that with the recent impact of COVID, Nebraska is experiencing growth rates of entrepreneurship, making this a key moment to harness the momentum into long-term economic recovery, resilience, and diversification. The AIP Incubators will be North Omaha’s resource for innovation, serving the needs of entrepreneurs seeking to build high growth businesses which will create pathways to creating wealth.
The project will contribute to capacity-building and financial support for North Omaha Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise entrepreneurs, small/emerging businesses, contractors, and contractors-in-training creating job and training opportunities for professional and trade persons. Ames Industrial Park could help bridge divides within the North Omaha Economy. Economic and demographic data show significant socioeconomic disparities between North Omaha and non-North Omaha residents. Bringing together these populations in a community of practice to support entrepreneurship in North Omaha could have implications beyond small business growth and contribute to broader efforts to unify long-divided communities. The first impact of this project centers on small business empowerment and increased sustainability. Job Creation is a positive impact to the North Omaha community and a very important element of this project. The proposed incubator may well produce more than 10 jobs annually, based upon the entrepreneurs and small businesses co-locating in the incubator. Job creation is important because many federal and other funding sources use job creation as a basis for granting funds. It seems likely that the AIP incubators could create approximately 58 full-time job situations over the first five years. To create 58 jobs, the AIP incubators would need to create an average of 11 jobs per annum, which falls inside of the national jobs created per year range (10 – 30).
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AIP Programs/Services Business Consultants: $60,000-$80,000 annually, commensurate with experience; Workforce Trainers: $32,000-$45,000 annually, commensurate with experience; Spencer Management Phases I, II, III Superintendents/Project Managers: $28.00-$30.00 per hour; General Laborers: $16.00-$18.00 per hour; Skilled Laborers: $20.00-$27.00 per hour
Spencer Management (SM), project Construction Manager and General Contractor, promotes the utilization of Disadvantaged, Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, Emerging Small Businesses, Service-Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises (D/M/W/ESB/SDVBE) contractors, subcontractors, and businesses to promote inclusion and a sustained, vibrant local economy in North Omaha. Ames Industrial Park’s Workforce Training Program will strive to maximize work opportunities for women and minorities residing and/or doing business in North Omaha on our projects. In good faith, SM strives to work with minority and female subcontractors and business on the project. The goal will be to hire and retain 20% from subcontractors and/or business in North Omaha.
Ames Industrial Park’s incubator will be a vehicle of aid to entrepreneurs and small businesses as they constitute the North Omaha economy and are more likely to maintain their activity in North Omaha than surrounding areas. In addition, supporting the creation of small local businesses can help locally engage young entrepreneurs by avoiding the loss of specialized skills in North Omaha. The project’s benefits to the community can be profound. Small-scale manufacturers and industrial businesses, for instance, can energize the community by creating a draw, which can bring foot traffic to nearby retail outlets. It diversifies local employment and business ownership, as owners come from the full spectrum of the community, crossing racial, ethnic, income and other divides. Their services and/or products draw on the heritage and skills of a wide variety of individuals and communities in North Omaha. In addition, these businesses create jobs for people with a broad range of skills and generate community wealth through business ownership.
Ames Industrial Park projects contributes to North Omaha’s economic sustainability. Business incubators are perceived to be a mainstay of economic development programs. AIP’s project create value by combining the entrepreneurial drive of a startup with resources generally available to new ventures. Among the primary objectives of business incubators, we are creating employment opportunities in the North Omaha economy and commercializing workforce. The project enhances the built environment in North Omaha by rehabilitating and renovating a visible tombstone maker and retailer in the North 24th Street corridor on the southeast corner of Ames Avenue and Florence Boulevard; and new commercial development on North 24th and Taylor Streets. The project increases quality of life by helping entrepreneurs and small businesses achieve their business visions, missions, and goals to create wealth. Knowing that entrepreneurs are important for job creation, poverty alleviation, and income growth for North Omaha can, the project’s programs and services aim to inspire collective support and collaborative problem-solving for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
LB1024’s strategically prioritizes entrepreneurship, job training programs, and business development. Ames Industrial Park project helps create and grow startup and existing small businesses by providing them with necessary support, workforce and business development trainings, and financial and technical services. There are more than 1,000 incubators that support entrepreneurs in the U.S., according to the International Business Innovation Association. And they’re not all created equal. North Omaha has not had an affordable business incubator since the North Omaha Business & Technology center, formerly located on the northeast corner of 24th & Lake Streets, which caters to more than retail and restaurants. AIP’s project demonstrates innovation in North Omaha to entrepreneurs and small businesses in industrial, business, and service industries giving access to a network of fellow entrepreneurs as well as mentors, affordable office space, and, potentially, even funding. This project will provide several resources, including: Cost reduction opportunities Whether it’s access to affordable office space, business development programs and technical services, entrepreneurs and small business are able to reduce costs and focus on other areas of their business. A professional environment Not only can proximity help entrepreneurs and small businesses collaborate with each other, having a professional space to work from may lend credibility to any meetings they take with potential partners or investors. A support network Entrepreneurs may be able to consult, collaborate, learn, and grow with fellow entrepreneurs as part of AIP’s programs. In exchange, they can bring a set of skills and knowledge to that network that will help others. AIP will have business consultants and community partners for trainings, seminars, and outside networking opportunities. Buffering and curating AIP will give small businesses a safe space to work through some of the early challenges of running a business (versus learning “on the job” while dealing with competition and other external challenges). This safe space also helps businesses curate the right resources and network to set themselves up for success.
Ames Industrial Park (AIP) plans annual assessment of progress vs performance measures, as well as entrepreneurial competencies, workforce development, and connectivity. We will survey our incubator businesses on: * The number of jobs created, demographics of employees, and salaries. The demographics of business owners * The amount of businesses’ revenue * The amount of businesses’ capital investment * The ripple effect of business revenue and salaries on community capitals, such as financial, social, political and human; assessed by community demographics * Businesses’ survival rate * The business owner’s satisfaction with AIP’s offerings Tracking: * Demographics of business owners * Number of incubator businesses; market sector the business participates in * Number Women and Minority business formation * Business mix of incubator tenants * Number of new employment/job (FT/PT) created * Office space/coworking occupancy * Number of each program delivered, for how many incubator businesses and owners * Number of entrepreneur organizations adding to and visiting the cross-organization programming and Training * Impact of incubation services on business success * Number of mentors, mentor skills, and demographics * Community space utilization *Length of stay incubator
Outcomes will be measured through surveys by an independent metrics/evaluations’ specialist.
No, this project does not act as catalyst for co-investment or secondary investment.
Yes
Ames Industrial Park will partner with Spencer Management LLC to provide Workforce Training and Home Ownership/Financial Literacy Seminars to new homeowners and the community.
Spencer Management LLC - MOU
No
Phase I and II - 4411 N. 20th Street, Omaha, NE 68110 Phase III - 4332 N. 24th Street, Omaha, NE 68110
Within one or more QCTs
Please see Attachments
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Because Spencer Management LLC is the construction manager and general contractor for AIP Phases I, II, and III, they will do a public bid process for all subcontracting work. We will solicit qualified Tier I/II, Section 3, DBE, WBE, ESB, and SDVBE contractors to bid on project scopes of work.
For the construction, Spencer Management LLC will be the General Contractor and Owner’s Rep with PENN Architect as the Architect to provide an approximate construction cost for Ames Industrial Park Phase I, II, and III. The estimates were completed based on the current market value of materials and labor. In addition, we are including Owner’s Equity to show the owner’s vested interest and commitment to the project.
LB1024 grant funds will help close the financial gap to for the completion of Phase I and II and direct construction costs of Phase III in response to the increasing expenses of new construction, high inflation rate, and the growing need for affordable commercial lease space in North Omaha. Funding will provide the operational costs associated with new jobs, training programs, and business consultant contract-for fee services.
Yes
Spencer Management LLC have processes and procedures in place in order to follow Federal Guidelines for the disbursement, monitoring, and reporting on all ARPA funds. We receive administrative support from a full team of Certified Public Accountants at Midwest Accounting & Tax. We will hire an independent auditor to support any awards received through this application.
Please see attached Sources and Uses of Funds
LB1024 funds would help catalyze the development of Ames Industrial Park Phases I, II, and III affordable business office spaces within North Omaha. If this proposal is not funded, the project would be delayed.
The overall construction project will be phased; however, the intent is to have Phases I and II completed by 2024; and Phase III completed by 2025. This project would ideally be expanded into other communities in North Omaha.
Spencer Management’s owner’s investments in Ames Industrial Park Phases I, II, and III include: Owner Funds Invested - $700,000 Loans - $944,000 CDBG Grant Proceeds - $450,000 TIF Proceeds - $262,000 Total Owner Investment: $2,356,000
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Documentation of site control (proof of ownership, option, purchase contract, or long-term lease agreement) Environmental assessment of subject site. Is the property a brownfield site? Organizational Chart Plans and detailed descriptions, including pictures and a map of the site location/surrounding area Pro Forma Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses Schedule