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Skatefest Omaha
3712 N 41st St. Omaha, NE 68111
www.skatefestomaha.com
https://www.instagram.com/skatefestomaha/ https://www.facebook.com/SKATEFESTOMAHA/
Blake Harris
Executive Director
Blake@skatefestomaha.com
+1 (402) 850-9417
Yes
President : Blake Harris, Board President , CEO, NuVision Creatives Treasurer : Eric Marshall , Treasurer, Insurance Agent, Farmers Insurance Secretary : Teresa Stastney, CEO, Teresa Jean Creative Board Member : Lewis Ryan, CEO, Nebraskicks Board Member : Edward Saunsoci, CEO, DVLP Basketball Board Member : Jeff Fowler, CEO, Fowler Decks and More. Additional Team members include Spark CDI, One Omaha and Tracy Schutt (Nonprofit Association of the Midlands)
The organization chart will be uploaded at the end of the application.
Since starting in 2021, Skatefest Omaha has thrown over 11 events supporting the skateboarding and art communities in Omaha with a focus on BIPOC. Our events have included skate competitions, art shows, live music events, live art, youth activities, workshops, local vendors, nonprofits, and more. Each event has amassed 200-500 youth, young adults, and families. Our art shows have supported 40 different Artists, Vendors, and Skateboarders alike. We’ve partnered with organizations such as the Sherwood foundation, the Omaha Community Foundation, BFF Omaha, KANEKO, College Possible, Culxr House, The Kim Foundation, Union for Contemporary Arts, North Omaha Music and Arts, North Omaha Trail, and more. The OERC proposal supports our overall goal to develop safe and inclusive indoor skatepark to practice the sport that provides much needed exercise, confidence, and discipline.
SkateFest Head Quarters (SFHQ)
2114880.0
2114880.0
Capital project
Skatefest Omaha uses skateboarding and art to provide Black and Brown youth in with access to safe spaces and mentoring, increase diversity, provide hands on learning experiences and a platform for self-expression. Skatefest Omaha is founded and led by Executive Director, Blake Harris, a young Black man with a passion for skateboarding. SkateFest Omaha is normalizing and amplifying the voices of marginalized people through our skateboarding events and programming. We address Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Representation by inviting diverse team members, artists, entrepreneurs to volunteer with us. We intend to develop an indoor skatepark to provide a safe space for learning, acceptance and development among BIPOC youth and young adults in the skateboarding community, Artists, and small business owners. The proposed location is 2564 Harney Street Omaha, NE 68131. June 2023 Receive funds June 2023 Purchase of building June 2023 Contract help for plans on upgrading facility June 2023 Contract help for plans on building skatepark/music venue August 2023 Start building upgrades, building remodeling, offices, classrooms, February 2024 Finish building upgrades February 2024 Start building skatepark May 2024 Finish Skatepark June 2024 Organize administrative, programs, key staff, etc. September 2024 Grand Opening
June 2023 Receive funds June 2023 Purchase of building June 2023 Contract help for plans on upgrading facility June 2023 Contract help for plans on building skatepark/music venue August 2023 Start building upgrades, building remodeling, offices, classrooms, February 2024 Finish building upgrades February 2024 Start building skatepark May 2024 Finish Skatepark June 2024 Organize administrative, programs, key staff, etc. September 2024 Grand Opening
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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.)
Skatefest Omaha uses skateboarding and art to provide Black and Brown youth in with access to safe spaces and mentoring, increase diversity, provide hands on learning experiences and a platform for self-expression. Skatefest Omaha is founded and led by Executive Director, Blake Harris, a young Black man with a passion for skateboarding. SkateFest Omaha is normalizing and amplifying the voices of marginalized people through our skateboarding events and programming. We will teach skateboarding to youth, community art classes partnered with local organizations/BIPOC professionals such as Creative Impulse by Jennifer Young. Community Music classes partnered with local organizations/BIPOC professionals. Classes teaching Financial literacy/wealth development and entrepreneurship to young adults and local families. Classes educating on the importance of Mental health Provide first time employment experience to high school students and young adults. Programming partnered with local BIPOC organizations and professionals. We will focus on hiring local high school students/young adults and provide workforce training programs for those new to the workforce. Civic uses: The Space will also serve as an event venue for neighborhood meetings, social gatherings, and other multipurpose uses. Space will be a concert venue hosting local and regional artists. Local monthly vendor markets will be hosted focusing on small business, artists, non-profits, and BIPOC entrepreneurs. Easily accessible facility providing youth and young adults a physical health outlet. Recreation: This project will enhance recreation in east Omaha because there is a large skateboarding population but no skatepark indoors. Nebraska has cruel winters leaving this large population subject to negative mental health and physical health issues. During the winter This facility will encourage youth to stay active during the winter This facility will encourage youth and young adults to stay out of trouble leading to gangs and violence. The facility encourages people to skateboard and use public transportation with 13 bus stops around a 2 block radius. Soon there will be a street car going to Harney making this location more easily accessible. Space will greatly improve the district it’s in by bringing more people from all over omaha/region through events, regional skateboarding competitions, Concerts, and art shows/exhibits to the area encouraging more investment into the neighborhood. Bringing a BIPOC mixed use culture destination will enhance the area. Having an easily accessible safe space for at risk youth will improve the drug and gang violence in area making it a safer area for low income families to thrive. As of now the spot is a run down building, there are lots of broken down buildings nearby. Renovating and developing this space will improve the overall look of the neighborhood. Bring murals to the area from local artists, community garden along the side of the lot for locals. An indoor skatepark serves as a great health benefit for locals and provides an easily accessible exercise facility which will increase health benefits to youth and young adults encouraging a healthier lifestyle.
The skatepark facility will address some of the visioning workshop finding. Strengths addressed, Project is located inside an abandoned building with lots of upgrades needed. With so much work needed to the building, it would have most likely sit for years. This project will revitalize the building which would have otherwise been left vacant. This project will be ran by Blake Harris,BIPOC Executive Director from the community who lives in the community. With the rail car coming through Harney Street, it will be for BIPOC to get equity in this area. Lack of black owned companies that attract others from outside the community With the Bay in Lincoln moving to an all youth facility, and young adults/adults having nowhere to skateboard in the winter, this will attract and serve people from all walks of life, all over the region. The facility will be BIPOC owned and operated. Weaknesses the project addresses: Need meeting space, community space This project will serve as a community space for youth, young adults, artists, musicians. Will be available for meetings, gatherings, events, arts, music performances, concerts, etc. We will have meeting space upstairs available for local community. Negative perceptions of south Omaha immigrant and diverse This project will help change that stigma bringing lots of positivity into the area Being a regional hub, people from all over will be able to come to east Omaha showing people the goodness of it and changing perceptions Systemic racism, poverty, and redlining. This project directly attacks this by bringing a new state of the art facility into the area. Mental health for middle and high school students. Behavioral health issues with these children. Our main target audience is middle and high school students, by moving forward with this project we will be able to directly invest into these youth teaching them mental health and training them on behavioral health.
Skateboarding addresses public health turmoil. The Skatefest Headquarters is an easily accessible facility to practice what they love and exercise, especially during the winter months. Through our proposed facility, we will provide a place for BIPOC communities to thrive physically, financially through financial literacy and wealth development, job training and career readiness. We will also address the needs for assistance for small businesses owners by highlighting local BIPOC businesses.
CEO: 75k Operations director: 60k Art director: 45k Music director: 45 k Program director: 45 k 4 Skatepark staff: 80k (part time) Contruction Teams: Architect, contractor, engineer at $19/hourly wage.
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10-15
Program Director $55K, Operations Director: $60k Art Director: $55K Music Director: $40K, Sk8 Skills Coaches $45K
Our programming will prepare youth and young adults to enter into college, the workforce and or entrepreneurship through programs and training provided through collaborations with local organizations such as College possible, 100 Black Men of Omaha, Heartland Workforce Solutions. For contractors, we plan on opening two more locations in north and south omaha to increase job opportunities and economic viability.
Skateparks are one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the United States. Skateboarding youth often prove to be incredible advocates for the things that are important to them, and the long process of skatepark development is transformative not just for the skateboarders but for the community. By hiring BIPOC from the community we can create a diversified staff that represents the community we live in. Developing between North and South Omaha creates accessibility to both communities for representation. The space will allow economic and wealth creation opportunities by providing financial literacy courses and bays for BIPOC small businesses, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and Creatives. Local Omaha researchers with Omaha Police Department have provided evidence that proves when a Neighborhood is cleaned and cared for, violence and crime decreases by 75% and community livability and pride increases. The indoor skatepark would serve as a community hub for youth and young adults to be active, engage in community events and programming.
We plan to utilize the skatepark as an accessible space for teaching financial literacy and wealth development in the neighborhood to allow for families to better understand how to grow their finances and manage their income. We will also teach workforce development to create employability among youth and young adults to include resume writing and internal job opportunities. Quality of Life; there is data to show health benefits to skateboarding including cardio, increased positive outcomes for mental health and confidence. Data provided by Abide and the Omaha Police Department shows when a neighborhood is clean and cared for, crime and violence is decreased by 75%. We anticipate murals and green spaces to improve the neighborhood and instill a renewed sense of pride.
According to Tony Hawk Project, more than 6 million visitors annually visit Skateparks throughout the United States. INNOVATION There has never been a skatepark, youth programming, artist engagement, music venue in omaha. People will flock from the region to check this place out.
Additional outcomes we will measure are: Improved financial education for low income BIPOC families and young adults. Number of participants attending classes, demographics such as age, area codes. We will track Improved soft and hard skills learned from SK8 school, media and marketing classes, art classes, mental health practices and yoga through providing surveys at the end of each program session. We will track employability for local high school students and young adults through keeping track of attendance, classes completed, resumes built, and jobs received through the program. New high paying jobs for administrative staff and competitive wages for facility staff we will Keep track by keeping count of staff and wages.
The outcomes will be measured through surveys, listening sessions and assessments conducted by our Program Manager. We also intend to have additional comprehensive development of our data through STEPS at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
The Skatepark will create a regional creative hub centered around skateboarding, music, and art will attract more small businesses to the area as well as local and national investors. Occupying the space will greatly improve the district it’s in by bringing more people from all over omaha/region to the area through large events from skateboarding, art exhibits, and concerts encouraging more investment into the neighborhood Soon, the streetcar will be going through the area leading to great access to the area from all over and ultimately bringing more investment, it’s important to get BIPOC equity and an organization centered around bipoc growth
Yes
Skatefest has partnered with Kaneko, Hope Center for Kids, 75 North, North Star and BFF Omaha to produce mobile skatepark experiences for youth to paticipate in . The experiences allow for youth to learn and refine skateboarding skills in SK8 school, create their own art project using skateboards and design.
We do not currently have any formal agreements or MOU regarding the indoor skatepark.
No
The physical location is 2564 Harney Street Omaha, NE 68131. It sits in QCT 40, right in the middle of both the north and south Qualified Census Tracts (QCT) and right off the Interstate 480. SkateFest HQ will serve as an easily accessible destination for youth and young adults located in the areas described above. There are 26 bus stops nearby, 2 heartland bicycle stations, two schools including one high school and one elementary school within three blocks. Interstate 480 entrance and exit 2 blocks away, making it easily accessible to not only north and south, but the greater Omaha metro area. The building stands in very good condition, there are no structural upgrades needed, just remodeling to fit the skatepark space. The building is almost move in ready.
Within one or more QCTs
Not applicable.
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Costs were determined through research on typical costs of an indoor skate park along with advisement from Spark CDI who work in the commercial development space.
No
The requested funds will go towards a new Skatepark Construction project. We did not have time to get a full appraisal for everything we wanted to do so the representative in the technical assistance meeting advised us to add in $200-$400 per square feet. We’ve chosen $150/sqft because the building is in good shape and almost move in ready.
LB1024’s grant funds will fully fund purchasing the property and remodeling the building for our intended purpose.
Yes
Not applicable
We anticipate seeking funding from local investors, small business loans and foundation grants. We will also have revenue through music events, concerts, weddings, vendor markets, entrance fees for use of skatepark, art shows, and grant funding.
We currently do not have any funding sources or requests at this time for the Skatepark only programming
Although we anticipate seeking additional funding, we cannot continue making significant growth towards the completion of the project without the support of funds from the current proposal.
Yes the proposal is scalable.
The project can be expanded to the whole building next door. In the future, we plan on having a facility in North Omaha and South Omaha, for right now we are focusing on a central location accessible to both communities rovide locations
At this time, Skatefest does not have additional financial commitment to the proposal outside of current funding for programming for the 2022-2023 year.
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Additional Location Documents (see application for list) 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 Request Rationale Documentation