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B&B Sports Academy
3034 Sprague Street Omaha, NE 68111
Dowd Law Attn: B&B Sports Academy 6700 Mercy Road Suite 501 Omaha, NE 68106
www.bandbacademy.com
Dale Christenson
Board President
dale.christenson@ubs.com
+1 (402) 490-0515
Yes
Steven Nelson, Executive Director
The Executive Director is directly overseen by the board of directors.
B&B Sports Academy has completed a successful $250,000 remodel of their current gym space. They have also added a tutoring room and a new check in desk for increased accountability and for tracking purposes.
B&B Sports Academy Campus
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Combination of capital project and service/program
B&B Sports Academy is requesting funds for a new building to expand their programming. Vacant land located at 1440 Read Street, Omaha, NE 68112 has been identified as the ideal location for this new building. Located across the street from their current facility, this new 40,000 sq/ft facility will allow B&B to continue to serve in the same community. This expanded campus will offer additional opportunities for programming for the youth in the neighborhood. Currently, B&B Sports Academy offers boxing, wrestling, and MMA programs. With a new facility they hope to add larger spaces for current offerings as well as additional tutoring rooms, a community space and kitchen, and a gym for basketball, volleyball, and tennis. B&B would also like to add services for the public to utilize on a fee or membership basis, such as updated fitness equipment, an indoor jogging track, a fitness class studio, and a short-term childcare space for members. Another key aspect that they would like to incorporate is transportation, ensuring that program participants and paying public members have adequate means of getting to and from the facility. By building the B&B Sports Academy Campus at 1440 Read Street, a now vacant lot will be transformed into a haven for youth to learn to be well rounded individuals (“inside and outside the ring”) and a center for health for community residents.
Upon receipt of grant award, the property at 1440 Read Street will be purchased and a project manager will be hired. An environmental study will be conducted while an RFP is created and a design team is assembled, which is anticipated to take 3 months. Project design will take approximately 8 months, within construction starting upon completion. Construction will take approximately 2 years.
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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)
Multimodal Transportation (i.e., enable connectivity through driving, biking, taking transit, walking, and rolling) 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.)
The overall goal of B&B Sports Academy is to have participants reach their goals both inside and outside the ring. By offering positive, structured activities that teach confidence, discipline, and healthy habits, they are creating a community that will be sustainable for years to come. These activities can come in many shapes and forms. Currently, B&B offers boxing, wrestling, and MMA programs to youth ages 8-18. By including a gym in their new facility, they would like to offer basketball, volleyball, tennis, and pickleball. There are very few indoor facilities in North Omaha that offer indoor options for activities like these. In addition to being trained by world-class coaches in the science of boxing or other fitness modalities, participants are required to maintain positive social behavior and academic achievement. An emphasis is placed on education, with report cards and progress reports being a required submission for participation, and tutoring is available for those in need. By expanding their tutoring program with adequate space, B&B Sports Academy will be able to help more youth achieve their academic goals. An area that B&B sees a growth opportunity is in nutrition. They would like to construct a kitchen and community room, where they can instruct on basic cooking skills, nutrition, meal prep, shopping, etc. The original focus of the gym was athletics, and it is crucial to understand the correlation between nutrition and athletic success. Further, it is important to understand how nutrition impacts overall health. The North Omaha community struggles with obesity, diabetes, and mental health, and nutrition ties directly into all three issues. The community room would be a space that can be utilized by all, creating what the room is named for, community. Sharing meals, art classes, seminars, are all ways to create a thriving, diverse community. Not all community members strive to be an athlete, and there is room for all kinds of success at B&B Sports Academy. Another way to build community is through a community garden. B&B Sports Academy would like to incorporate a large community garden for all members of the neighborhood to utilize, not just participants of their programs and services. B&B Sports Academy recognizes a need for healthy recreation for all, not just for youth. They would like to implement a paid membership program for community members. The new facility would include updated fitness equipment, a jogging track, a fitness studio, and short-term childcare for members. By offering these services, B&B will positively impact their community regarding obesity, diabetes, and mental health, as the CDC has shown that regular physical activity can greatly improve the overall quality of life and health of people of all ages. While offering programs and services to improve their community, B&B Sports Academy recognizes the hurdle that transportation issues can cause. Currently, B&B owns two 15-seater vans that they utilize to transport youth program participants. They would like to update these modes of transportation to better serve their community, especially for those utilizing their membership program. Although the area for the new facility is accessible by walking, biking, and rolling, and it is also directly on a bus route, they would like to offer rides to all in need of their facility. Omaha weather can be unpredictable, and cold weather and long, dark winters give community members one more reason to not be active or participate in community events. By removing this hurdle, B&B Sports Academy will aid in the overall health of their neighbors. Despite their name, boxing and overall fitness are not the main goals of B&B Sports Academy. B&B provides a safe space for youth to learn essential life skills, decreasing the amount of violence seen while empowering youth to make successful decisions inside and outside the ring.
This proposal directly aligns with the findings in the Visioning Workshop Summary in many ways. B&B Sports Academy is taking vacant land and turning it into a thriving center of community and health. Community members have expressed the need for safe places for youth to “do” something, and B&B accomplishes this, both now and in the future with a new facility. Transportation was also identified as an opportunity, and this proposal directly addresses the issue of transportation being a hurdle for community members. B&B also prioritizes education, a finding that was repeated in importance throughout the summary. They are also supporting a multi-generational approach, expanding their programming to include all, not just youth. Another key aspect that B&B Sports Academy addresses is health. Their new facility will directly impact the overall health and wellness of the community they serve.
This proposal aligns with LB1024’s strategic priorities. B&B Sports Academy’s new facility will utilize vacant land by demolishing the current structure, updating utilities, and revitalizing the area in which it is located. It will also improve the overall health of a community that was directly impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, as North Omaha was disproportionally affected compared to other areas of Omaha. It will also address issues of education and training, with a variety of opportunities available to community members of all ages.
B&B Sports Academy anticipates adding 30 permanent and 140 temporary/construction jobs with approval of this proposal. Wages associated with permanent jobs will be a minimum of $20 an hour, as paying staff a living wage is very important to the organization.
30
140
$20 an hour at minimum for permanent positions
By adding more permanent positions that are paid a living wage, B&B Sports Academy will create numerous opportunities for individuals without the Qualified Census Tracts.
There are various ways that this proposal will benefit the community that B&B Sports Academy serves. It will improve the local neighborhood by transforming a vacant property into a hub of community health and wellness. It will provide a safe space for youth to gather and learn, away from the violence that can be prevalent in the area. It will also provide a community based platform for fitness membership, instead of a large chain corporation model like the nearby Planet Fitness offers.
The B&B Sports Academy Campus will positively impact community sustainability. It will improve the natural environment of the area by removing a vacant building, improving the land, and adding a community garden. It will also improve quality of life by providing a center for health, giving the community a place for fitness and health, directly impacting obesity, diabetes, and mental health struggles that are prevalent in the area.
B&B Sports Academy's new facility is an innovative approach to health. By focusing on a whole body approach to health, B&B ensures that the youth and community they serve are successful inside and outside the ring. They also offer the unique opportunity to learn from world class boxers and other fitness experts.
The organizations anticipates seeing an increase in youth served, improved education, improved health indicators (lower instances of obesity, diabetes, mental health issues, etc), and creation of new living wage job opportunities.
These outcomes will be measured by a collaboration between B&B Sports Academy staff and by a third party consultant, Catalyst Consulting.
Not at this time
Yes
B&B Sports Academy anticipates utilizing partnerships with other community organizations who are specialists in their fields, such as collaborating with The Big Garden for a community garden, The Union for Contemporary Art for art classes, No More Empty Pots for nutrition, and many more.
None at this time
No
1440 Read Street Omaha, NE 68112 This property is currently vacant and will need an environmental study during the due diligence phase. There is also a future opportunity with the City of Omaha to purchase Spaulding Park to further expand the campus.
Within one or more QCTs
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Costs were determined by comparing the like facility of the new YMCA on 156th and Ida and also by consulting a design professional.
No
B&B Sports Academy is requesting $20 million for the construction of a new 40,000 square foot facility. The building itself is anticipated to cost $375 a square foot ($15 million) with an additional $5 million in costs associated with equipment and furniture. This brings the total project cost to be $500 a square foot.
The grant funds awarded by LB1024 will provide the capital needed to complete the B&B Sports Academy Campus.
Yes
The fiscal operations of B&B Sports Academy following the initial investment will be greatly improved. B&B Sports Academy will have been able to increase their visibility, allow them to continue to seek new funders, and open additional avenues of paid membership options for the public. All of these will ensure the long-term success of the program and of B&B Sports Academy as a whole.
Currently B&B Sports Academy has one grant with the City of Omaha pending for their Turnback Tax Grant for 2022-2023 for $20,000 to supplement current program costs.
Turnback Tax Grant 22-23 - $20,000 - Submitted - December 22
All funds are necessary for the completion of this project.
No
B&B Sports Academy is financially committed to the success of this proposal by focusing fundraising efforts to aid in the project completion, mainly to support personnel and other associated costs. They are also prepared to hire outside consultants to ensure the proposal's success.
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Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses