39
City of Omaha
1819 Farnam Street, Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68183-0300
https://www.cityofomaha.org/
Facebook: City of Omaha Twitter: @OmahaOfficial
Matt Kalcevich
Director Parks, Recreation, and Public Property, City of Omaha
matthew.kalcevich@cityofomaha.org
+1 (402) 444-5035
Yes
Thomas Warren, Sr. – Chief of Staff, City of Omaha Mayor’s Office Matt Kalcevich – Director, City of Omaha Parks, Recreation, and Public Property Department Jacquelyn Morrison – Deputy Chief of Staff Economic Development, City of Omaha Mayor’s Office Marco Floreani – Deputy Chief of Staff Economic Development, City of Omaha Mayor’s Office Deborah Ward - Executive Director, Visit Omaha - City of Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau
The City of Omaha has managed the construction of several large multi-use facilities and community centers. Facilities such as Hitchcock Pool, Common Ground Recreation and Aquatic Center, and Tranquility Park each function in a similar way. The mission of the Parks, Recreation and Public Property Department is to provide and maintain a comprehensive park system, manage public property, and offer opportunities for the citizens and visitors of the Omaha community. The Department encourages a healthy, positive lifestyle that is essential to a supreme quality of life. The City of Omaha will provide fiscal management; submit progress reports; initiate procurement, maintain contractor agreements and conduct monitoring; and will be responsible for all statutory, fiscal and programmatic requirements, including those of 2 CFR Part 200. The City of Omaha Finance Department, and Grant Administration Division have extensive experience managing state and federal grant awards.
Levi Carter Activity Center and Sports Park
32600080.0
32600080.0
Combination of capital project and service/program Service/program
The City of Omaha proposes to construct a 90,000 square foot multi-purpose facility with eight (8) basketball/volleyball courts, a wrestling room, a weight training/fitness room, locker rooms, health screening space, and a dedicated technology-enabled classroom. Adjacent to the indoor facility, the City proposes construction of four (4) full-size natural turf soccer fields, a building for concessions and restrooms, and 340 surface parking stalls. The requested funding will allow the City of Omaha to execute this critical capital project, a first of its kind in the Omaha Metro, which directly enables work, education, and health monitoring in response to the public health emergency. The City of Omaha elected to situate this project on an undeveloped parcel directly adjacent to the Northeast Omaha QCT cluster to ensure all communities have access to the high-quality modern infrastructure needed to access critical services and thrive both socially and economically. The selected site will become a regional destination, generating development and economic growth in a community with great need. Northeast Omaha has experienced disproportionately poor work, education, and health outcomes, in part due to lack of access to equitable resources and opportunities. The Carter Lake facility will quite literally level the playing field. The proposed project will jointly and directly enable work, education, and health monitoring while serving as a hub for community recreational activities. This project serves as a catalyst for significant growth, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development.
Design and Engineering will occur during the Spring of 2023 Bidding and contracts will occur during the Fall of 2023 Activity Center Construction will occur during the Spring of 2024 Sports Park Construction will occur during the Fall of 2024
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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)
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.)
Centering the proposed one-of-its-kind multi-purpose activity space in Northeast Omaha will create opportunities for leisure, recreation, health, education, economic growth, and social development the likes of which have not been actualized before in the region. As noted by state senators and many others, the ARPA funds present a “transformational” opportunity. This proposal has the capacity to exceed expectations. The addition of the proposed multi-use space will aid in rebuilding the economy, create infrastructure, and protect the health and safety of North Omaha. The facility will create opportunities for residents of North Omaha to have a first-class recreation facility in their neighborhood. Instead of youth and families traveling across the region, taking their time, talents, and money to other cities, they will reinvest in North Omaha. The importance of access to high-quality facilities for young and emerging athletes cannot be overstated. Creating a proximate space where young people are able to develop their skills and sharpen their talents will strengthen community connections and pride. The education labs in the facility will connect citizens of all ages to job training and employment programs and provide for basic needs so they can stabilize and recover. Recreation spaces will allow individual athletes and teams to practice healthy habits and engage in pro-social activities while learning skills such as teamwork, discipline, humility, sacrifice, and mentorship. This plan also activates a prime public space with activities and events which will undoubtedly spawn additional business growth in the neighborhood.
Three themes emerged from the North Omaha Visioning Session: Insufficient infrastructure exists, Development that fits within the cultural context is needed, and communities need access and tools to leverage community resources. Participants identified strengths including -- Culture and character are integrated in the neighborhoods; Economic hubs proximate to North Omaha. This proposal situates a central hub for workforce readiness, health and wellness, and educational recovery directly adjacent to the Northeast Omaha QCT cluster on a vacant parcel. The location is proximate to the community, transportation and commercial development. Visioning participants identified weaknesses such as -- Economic investment that does not recycle within the community; Broadband and public infrastructure that do not meet current needs; Additional finance and business education resources are needed to support Black-owned businesses. The proposed project will ensure that the dollars being invested into the youth sports industry by North Omaha families remain in North Omaha. Additionally, the facility will create opportunity for events that will draw entry fees, concession revenues, and hotel/restaurant revenues from participants traveling from outside North Omaha. The facility will provide free public internet connectivity with a space for job seekers to receive assistance in connecting to employment. The site will draw project partners representing minority-led non-profits and businesses throughout the community. Visioning participants identified opportunities including-- Vacant parcels and availability of land; Leverage current residents and entrepreneurial efforts into additional economic activity. The proposed site is situated on a vacant parcel proximate to the Northeast QCTs, transportation, airport park business development, and other commercial development. No displacement will occur as a result of this project. This project has the capacity to draw visitors from across the region. Not only will the facilities serve as “home base” for several Omaha-based youth-serving organizations, but it has the capacity to host large-scale events. The potential for participation from outside the Omaha Metro creates an entirely new generator of economic growth in the community. Finally, visioning participants identified threats including -- Aging infrastructure as a barrier to attracting investments and maintaining quality of life; Negative external media/perception. The proposed project would be a new build. With oversight and operations under the supervision of the City of Omaha, regular maintenance and upkeep that meet industry standards is assured. The Carter Lake facility has the potential to change negative perceptions. The space will be a mecca of pro-social activity, learning and community. It has potential to be a destination not only for North Omaha families, but for families across the region.
The COVID-19 public health emergency perpetuated negative economic, social, and public health impacts that deepened existing economic disparities. These challenges were disproportionately felt in the low-income and minority community of North Omaha, where social and economic challenges have persisted for generations. Funding under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 presents an opportunity to respond to challenges that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The proposed project is consistent with the priorities of LB 1024 as it focuses on building infrastructure, supporting workforce development, investing in healthy futures, focusing on place-based economic development, and partnering with community-based organizations providing pro-social supports to young people. The imagined facility will serve as not only a catalyst for economic investment. Families will benefit from preventative health screenings and generational programming related to school preparedness and workforce readiness. Thousands of North Omaha athletes will experience pride in a home-court-advantage comparable to their peers in other parts of the Metro. Families will gain access to important programs and services through this one-stop-shop. The Carter Lake Facility has the potential to become a beacon of safety and hope that creates generational change in North Omaha.
Directly the project will create 3 new full-time jobs, and 9 new part-time jobs with the City of Omaha Department of Parks and Recreation. During the year of construction, the $26.8 million in construction activity helps support 250 jobs in the construction industry and an additional 120 jobs in the community based on the increased economic activity.
Directly, the project will create 3 new full-time jobs, and 9 new part-time jobs with the City of Omaha Department of Parks, Recreation, and Public Property Department.
During the year of construction, the $26.8 million in construction activity helps support 250 jobs in the construction industry and an additional 120 jobs in the community based on the increased economic activity.
Consistent with the City of Omaha pay scale &/or open market bidding.
The capital investment for the construction of the Levi Carter Park athletic facilities is $26,840,080.00, with additional five-year operating investment (ramp-up) of $5,760,000. Directly the project will create 3 new full-time jobs, and 9 new part-time jobs with the City of Omaha Department of Parks and Recreation. During the year of construction, the $26.8 million in construction activity helps support 250 jobs in the construction industry and an additional 120 jobs in the community based on the increased economic activity. When fully operational, the economic activity will contribute $710,000 to the local economy each year. Activity includes direct parks and facility operations along with positive economic spillover or externalities. The local economy sees a boost to earnings of $224,000 for jobs directly related to the operations of the project, additional business-to-business spending, and additional household spending.
This facility should serve as an economic anchor for the community. The facility will draw users during weekdays and weekends. Additional visitors to the community will generate consumer activity to include potential for growth of convenience stores, fast food, casual dining, and other retail. Further, this facility will create a hub of pro-social activity which will likely drive crime down.
The Levi Carter Park expansion will create new multipurpose environments to host and further support new and existing activities related to outdoor recreation, community gatherings, public- health awareness, workforce development, continued education, and mentoring programs. As a new destination for the North Omaha community, the multipurpose facility will spur new economic development activity to the community, while promoting and creating new avenues for physical and mental health, family activities, and education/mentorship. The City of Omaha’s commitment to aiding the partnership and community efforts of this unique place-making project aids the sustainability of the project and the existing and future local non-profit partners and community organizations. The proposed project includes commitment of five years for facility, grounds, and staff ramp-up support in conjunction with the community partnering efforts.
Social sustainability is widely considered a fundamental ingredient of any positive, thriving and well-functioning community. Innovative design approaches create interactive communities and socially sustainable environments by helping increase the incidence of intergenerational benefit. This facility intends to benefit all, from a reading lesson for an elementary student, to a soccer game for a teenager, to a resume workshop for a parent. A basketball court during the morning turned into a volleyball court in the evening. The opportunity to create and engage in intergenerational activity creates and builds intergenerational communities. Different generations can mutually benefit from increased interaction with those outside their own age groups. Younger people can draw on the life experiences and knowledge of mentors while adults gain a sense of community and purpose by giving back. This design approach devises a building system that allows for flexibility and adaptability within structural constraints.
Frequency and quantity of pro-social opportunities offered to the community through the multi-purpose facility.
Facility use for athletic practices and competitions will be tracked. Collaborative partners will also track job seekers connected to workforce readiness programming, number and frequency of health screenings, number and frequency of youth education and/or adult professional development opportunities.
Yes, the Levi Carter Park investment will act as a catalyst for attracting future youth sporting events to an area of Omaha that currently lacks the facilities needed to host larger tournaments, exhibition games, and coaching clinics for youth sports activities such as basketball, volleyball, and wrestling. The average weekend spending for similar youth sporting events is estimated at $90.00 to $110.00 per-weekend, per person. Tournaments, community events, and coaching clinics will facilitate new dollars into the neighborhood and generate new business activity for the restaurants, grocery stores, shopping centers, and cultural attractions in the community. There is anticipation of future investment and the funding of the project will result in new direct and secondary investment from the increased economic activity of the proposed plans. In addition to new opportunities to host sports and recreational events, the multipurpose and multi-generational facility’s in-door spaces include computers, public Wi-Fi, and classroom space. These amenities and resources provide openings for individual and group learning, encourage tools for future entrepreneurialism efforts, and facilitate health awareness and health screenings. These shared and publically accessible resources catalyze new approaches to self and community betterment, catalyzing multi-generational investment within the city.
Yes
Prospective partnerships include: Midwest Trailblazers SAVE- Academic Supports and Mentoring Simple Foundation - Soccer JSSA- Volleyball The Factory – Elite/Select Basketball City of Omaha Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau Charles Drew Health Center, Inc. CHI Heartland Workforce Solution
None at this time.
No
Levi Carter Park - 4405 Carter Lake Shore Dr W, Omaha, NE 68110. This is an open parcel located in the northwest corner of the park. There is a road leading to this location as well as an additional maintenance facility already serving the park. The location is immediately adjacent to the Northeast Omaha QCT cluster.
Adjacent to one or more QCTs
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Cost Sheet Proposal provided by the Parks, Recreation, and Public Property Department is attached.
Funds will be used to construct the facility as well as provide basic on-site maintenance operations for 5 years.
Yes
It is forecasted that the ongoing operation and maintenance budget is sustainable through facility use fees.
No other sources are committed at this time.
The proposed concept cannot move forward as contemplated without the capital investment.
The City of Omaha understands the transformative impact an intergenerational multi-purpose facility such as the one proposed can have on a community. Not only will users of all types benefit from access to the proposed amenities, but the positive economic growth the facility may bring across Northeast Omaha is significant. Should the request be granted, the City of Omaha is committed to the successful implementation of the project as well as the ongoing operation and maintenance of the facility.
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Data table of uses (breakdown of how the requested funds will be used for your proposal) Plans and detailed descriptions, including pictures and a map of the site location/surrounding area Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses