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Sankofa Innovation District
Enterprise Park
5417 N 103rd St, Omaha, NE 68134
Martin Williams
Executive Dirctor
mw@martinwilliams.org
+1 (531) 329-9985
Yes
See grant attachment
See grant attachment
We are a new organization that plans to leverage the success of our founders, to establish a new innovative district in North Omaha. North Omaha has been void of a centralized HUB for innovation, entrepreneurship, and high paying jobs. This proposal supports the goal of our organization by creating opportunities not otherwise available in North Omaha such as access to traditional capital and financial planning (through a CDFI), access to venture capital (Board Member Quevedo), access to tech and entrepreneurship (Ihub), access to Shovel Ready Land, and access to education and incubation. By combining these efforts into a campus, the Innovation District will help to achieve the goals of the organization which is to leverage funds to generate wealth that is sustainable in the community in perpetuity.
Sankofa Innovation District
457726000.0
138992312.0
Combination of capital project and service/program
More than just “a building” or “a campus” the Sankofa Innovation District (“Sankofa”) will be the mecca of entrepreneurship and innovation (E&I) in the Midwest. Located at16th and Locust, the concept of Sankofa is a 100-acre innovation district in Omaha, NE that will be anchored by the Cathy Hughes Innovation Center. At Sankofa, we’re building and championing a place and an idea that, hundreds of years from now, history will celebrate as changing the world and forever improving human conditions both in North Omaha and around the world. Sankofa is the culmination of a decade of careful planning, painstaking reconstruction, and thoughtful community-building. Located in North Omaha—the most innovative square mile on the planet, Sankofa creates the opportunity for world-changing impact not only in North Omaha but throughout the Greater Omaha Metropolitan area. TheInnovation District will contain:: ● Talent Training and Job Placement Opportunities ● Entrepreneurship and Incubator Program ● Small Business Development and Technical Assistance ● Workforce and Mixed-Income Housing ● An Enterprise Business Park with Shovel Ready Land ● Retail and Other Commercial Real Estate Projected Five Year Outcomes: ● $1.5B – of revenue generated from the District ● 30% reduction in crimes in surrounding qualified census tracts ● The creation of 1,300 Jobs that pay at least the NE Average Wage o Over 400 jobs making $75,000 per year ● 300 units of mixed income housing o 100 units of workforce housing ● 15% reduction in health disparities/gap in 68111, 68110 ● 100 acres of land redeveloped
▪ November 2022 • Establish IHUB Partners • Create new Venture Capital focused on East Omaha • Secure Land Options for Parcels in the area ▪ January 2023 • Land Purchase of Enterprise Park • Removal of Debris from Enterprise Park ▪ Jan-March 2023 • Design • Engineering • Equipment ordered • Permits issues • MOUs signed with business partners such as Modern Eminence II LLC, Harrison Hub, PEI, ▪ April • Site Prep for Innovation Hub and Enterprise Park • Survey • Layout • Excavation • Site Clearing • Utilities • Foundation • Deposit on Equipment ▪ May - July • Footings poured • Slab Poured • Temp Power installed • Steel Building Erected • Rough Framing of Offices completed • Windows and Doors installed ▪ Aug-Oct • Rough Plumbing Elec, and HVAC installed • Insulation Installed • Sheetrock installed in offices ▪ Sept -Jan 2024 • Finish work begins • Electrical • Plumbing • HVAC ▪ Feb- April • Texture and paint in offices, • Trim Installed • Power drops in Shop finalized • Equipment ships • Office and Handling equipment arrives • Equipment testing begins • Raw Materials begin arriving ▪ May 2024 • Final inspection • Final testing • First Run Begins • Training Continues
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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) Other Infrastructure (i.e., develop or improve broadband, business districts, roadways, sewer, etc.) 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 Sankofa District includes three core components: 1. Development of the a business park known as Enterprise Park 2. The creation of an IHub a. A Physical Location; and b. A Non profit entity with multiple partners 3. The Revitalization of the 16th Street Corridor The development of a business park will create a sustainable community by creating shovel ready land to recruit businesses to the area that pay high wages. The park also enhances the community by adding infrastructure and opening transportation options for a underdeveloped piece of land that previously served as a rail hub for industry in the North Omaha community. The Ihub also adds to sustainable communities in that it takes persons who are underemployed and helps them to scale up. Specific to policy, the partnership of the hub enables underserved communities to have access the the emerging tech world and also access to capital, another impediment to minority business growth. Finally, the revitalization of the 16th Street Corridor ties together the community with the business park and IHub. By creating additional commercial spaces, small businesses will have access to store fronts and have the ability to continue to grow in the community. Moreover, with multipurpose building that have retail on the bottom and housing on top, much needed housing stock will be added to the area enabling people to work live and play. Finally with a true commercial BID in North Omaha, businesses will be able to contribute and continue to invest in the community creating longevity and lasting change after federal dollars have been spent.
□ The top three weaknesses from the North Omaha SWOT summary are: • Economic investment does not recycle within the community • Broadband and public infrastructure do not meet current needs • Additional finance and business education resources are needed to support Black-owned businesses □ The top three threats from the North Omaha SWOT summary are: • Aging infrastructure is a barrier for attracting investments and maintaining quality of life • Negative external media/perception • External/remote land ownership □ Sankofa is a holistic community development strategy that actually addresses the weaknesses and threats listed in the North Omaha SWOT summary. Sankofa makes sure the investment and dollars stay within the community by using local contractors during the construction phase at Enterprise Park. We will provide free wifi throughout the district making sure the community has access to broadband. Finally, by partnering with Omaha 100 and Sankofa Capital, we will provide additional education and resources to support local businesses. We will seek RFPs for development of mixed-use and affordable housing units along 16th Street thereby locating housing where jobs will be created, eliminating the barriers that lack of transportation has created. The key difference in this model is that businesses will find an environment in which they are created in North Omaha and incentivized to stay and grow in the community, allowing them to recycle their dollars. Through the 16th Street Revitalization effort, Sankofa will also replace and invest in the aging infrastructure along the corridor, increasing the property value for existing owners and creating a safer place for the community. This transformational investment will change the perception of North Omaha.
□ Transformational – This proposal will transform both North Omaha and the entire State through major investments in underutilized lands, a new innovation campus, commercial and residential buildings, public spaces, improvements in physical and digital infrastructure, and small businesses and entrepreneurs. The investment will generate construction jobs and allow for recruiting companies that will add high paying jobs that can be used to generate income that will be reinvested in the community. Through the proactive curation of social, research and business networks, this innovation district will help to scale up those who are underemployed and bring BIPOC communities who have historically been left out of tech into new emerging industries. □ Fundamental Change - Sankofa creates fundamental change by leveraging high-quality facilities, developing programs that build knowledge and networks, and convening strategic partnerships that attract and support emerging and established companies. By strategically locating on 16th street, the District will reconnect North Omaha with the downtown community, a connection that was previously severed. In addition to connecting the community, the District will also create a true business district in North Omaha which has been missing. Using this land puts into inventory over 70 acres of prime rail access land that has gone underutilized. The development will also leverage the proximity of a nearby park and the airport. □ Long-Lasting Economic Growth - The proposal provides multi-faceted economic growth, in digital, manufacturing, construction, as well as, entrepreneurship and innovation. With the addition of new jobs, in manufacturing, the digital trades, healthcare, transportation, construction, rail, plumbing, electrical, and real estate,Sankofa will create employment opportunities and economic impact for the foreseeable future. The scalability of the proposal is limitless.
Over 1200
357 Construction jobs
65,000 average wage
Employment will be immediately implemented specific to the construction elements of the proposal. The IHub will also start in two temporary locations (24th and Burdette and 16th and Commerce) to immediately start training for future jobs. PEI has offered temporary space at 16th and Locust to start training individuals in the manufacturing field. All of these opportunities will be within Qualified Census Tracts and serving those from Qualified Census Tracts
In addition to catalyzing the growth of jobs and businesses, the innovation district will spur new solutions to urgent societal challenges, from supporting inclusive workforce development to minority entrepreneurship. Unlike traditional business parks, the Sankofa District will be surrounded by neighborhoods challenged by economic disenfranchisement, high unemployment and high poverty. It will follow the development of traditional urban growth models wherein affordable housing was located near high paying manufacturing jobs. It will also create a business core district allowing for the recycling of capital in the community creating a sense of pride and ownership. Please see https://www.giid.org/how-innovation-districts-can-help-drive-an-inclusive-recovery/
Sankofa is a “live, work, play” fusion of life components which overlap with several other approaches to urban development, making it sustainable. For example, mixed-use development is one of the characteristics (or, from the perspective of planners, one of the tools) that can supply the mix of spaces, amenities, and opportunities to make innovation districts attractive. Transit-oriented development focuses on creating compact communities centered around mass transportation and pedestrians, offering one approach for achieving the land use, density, and amenity aspects of innovation districts. Sankofa is a combination of both along with others. o Another example of sustainability is incubator and accelerator programs themselves. These programs exist to provide services and assistance to businesses to nurture them toward self-sufficiency. These successful programs will create sustainable revenue moving forward.
We are partnering with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs in Atlanta, Boston Innovation District (Seaport) and MIT InnovationHQ. Through ecological and economic sustainable methods, the practices that Sankofa uses will incorporate the best of these innovation centers with a local touch.
Projected Five Year Outcomes: ● $1.5B – of revenue generated from the District ● 30% reduction in crimes in surrounding qualified census tracts ● The creation of 1,300 Jobs that pay at least the NE Average Wage o Over 400 jobs making $75,000 per year ● 300 units of mixed income housing o 100 units of workforce housing ● 15% reduction in health disparities/gap in 68111, 68110 ● 100 acres of land redeveloped
These outcomes will be measured by our executive team through KPI’s and reported to the State and the Community. These metrics will be shared equally across local, city, county and state governments upon request and as needed for additional support of the rehabilitation and growth of these impacted communities.
The Sankofa Innovation District will require over$450 million to complete the entire build out. As such, private investment will be required. Private investment will be present in the private companies who choose to locate in Enterprise Park, in the companies that partner with the IHub, and among the private developers who build out 16th Street.
Yes
We have partnered with PEI, Harrison Hub, Creighton Law School, Omaha 100, College Possible, Move Fund, Redberry Innovation and many more to deliver our programming.
None. The partnerships will be finalized with the creation of the IHub and the development of Enterprise Park.
No
Sankofa will start in two temporary locations (24th and Burdette and 16th and Commerce) to immediately start training those for the future jobs coming. The final location will be at Enterprise Park. All of these opportunities will be within Qualified Census Tracts and serving those from Qualified Census Tracts.
Within one or more QCTs
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
The proposal’s fiscal operations will include, but are not limited to, finalizing draw schedules for the construction and implementation of the facilities, securing material, etc. Reports will be drafted and delivered to the local, city, county, metropolitan and State entities providing transparency to account for all spending activities and ensuring the proposed is in continued alignment with timelines, as well as economic, ecological and community impacts as outlined in the proposed. The proposed uses an ERP System in all divisions of business to order, track and maintain inventory, hours, resources and purchases as well as the use of those products. The ERP system provides up to the minute accounting reports on demand as well as tracking current lead times, pricing, costs and margins for all materials allowing detailed reports of each component, product and project undertaken, ensuring availability of the master item and its subcomponents prior to implementation. The ERP system provides built-in controls allowing users a set of permissions that limit their ability to alter, change or influence another areas without supervisor or admin authority. Example, the purchasing agent does not have the ability to pay bills or change purchase orders after they have been submitted nor can they edit or approve invoices. Additionally a complete record of every transaction within the system, including alteration, changes, and/ or deleted items or documents. The ERP system will be hosted on AWS servers that comply with the highest ISO standards and information protection and built in redundancies.
Other sourcing includes TIF, The Imagine NE Revolving Fund, Bank Financing and Other Private Equity. Decision date is concurrent with the proposed.
Estimated timelines are within approximately thirty (30) days of the proposed submission and approval.
The proposal is fully encompassing and prepared upon approval to proceed into its timelines as outlined. The initial installments as outlined in the proposed, if not appropriated within the timeline does present significant timeline interruptions and potential delays for the short and long term outcome and proposed completion.
he proposal is scalable at its current state, with future opportunities to replicate in other areas of the State should the local, city, county, metropolitan and state governments desire additional growth in the proposed sectors.
Sankofa will raise the required capital needed.
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