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Police Athletics for Community Engagement
5105 South 37th Street, Omaha, NE 68107
www.paceomaha.org
https://www.facebook.com/paceomaha/ https://twitter.com/paceomaha https://www.instagram.com/paceomaha/
Tish Mendick
Director of Finance/Grants
tish@paceomaha.org
+1 (402) 850-9596
Yes
Richard Gonzalez, Executive Director - Mr. Gonzalez is a retired Captain from the Omaha Police Department. Capt. Gonzalez served as Commander of the Special Operations Section of the Criminal Investigations Bureau, which includes the Gang Unit, Intelligence and Firearms Squads. Capt. Gonzalez joined the Omaha Police Department in 1992, and he progressed through the ranks to the level of captain. He has previously served as captain of the Southeast Precinct, Criminal Investigations Bureau, and head of the Omaha Police Gang Unit. During his tenure at the Omaha Police Department, Capt. Gonzalez was responsible for managing many grant funded operations including Office of Violence Prevention funded projects and Byrne JAG funded projects. Capt. Gonzalez is the past President of the Nebraska Chapter of the Latino Peace Officers Association and has been integrally involved in the development of the youth sports programs offered through the Association. He has also served as a member of the Omaha Police Union Board of Directors, Vice President of the Nebraska State Fraternal Order of Police and formally the Treasurer of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #1 for 14 years. Capt. Gonzalez received the Omaha Police Departments "Officer of the Year" award and was recently inducted into Omaha South High Schools Athletic Hall of Fame. He has received numerous awards for his community service. Capt. Gonzalez graduated from Omaha’s South High School and went on to attend Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa attaining an associate degree. He also attended Cameron University in Oklahoma and graduated with a bachelor’s degree (Double Major) in Criminal Justice and Sociology in 1991. Capt. Gonzalez has been a speaker/presenter for the OJJDP, National Gang Center (youth related topics), Boys and Girls Club of America, and Project Safe Neighborhood. Tish Mendick, Director of Finance - Ms. Mendick has over 20 years of accounting experience. Previously employed by the Omaha Police Department as a Research and Planning Specialist, Ms. Mendick has over 8 years of experience in managing federal grant awards including Paul Coverdell Forensic Science awards, Byrne JAG awards, COPS Office Hiring and School Violence Prevention awards, Office of Violence Prevention awards, and STOP VAWA awards. Ms. Mendick has extensive training in grant writing and grant management including training from the National Grants Management Association Grants Management Book of Knowledge (GMBoK) training. During her tenure at the Omaha Police Department Ms. Mendick received multiple letters of commendation and awards including the highest award possible for a non-sworn employee, the Distinguished Service Medal. Ms. Mendick also serves on the Board of Directors for the Omaha-Douglas Federal Credit Union. Tony Espejo - Director of Program Development. Retired Omaha Police Officer/Detective Antonio Espejo a founding member of Police Athletics for Community Engagement and is a part of the PACE Executive Team. Detective Espejo was born and raised in South Omaha. Detective Espejo served his country as a United States Marine and wanted to continue that service through policing. Detective Espejo served in Omaha Police Department for over 20 years, 17 as a Gang Unit detective. Detective Espejo’s dedication to his community resulted in the creation of the original Latino Peace Officers soccer league. This League initially started in 2005 with 6 teams from gang influenced neighborhoods. Twelve years later, the league had grown to 110 plus teams in 2017. Detective Espejo also started the baseball program in 2009. He recruited Omaha Police officers to coach individual teams. Detective Espejo has won numerous awards for his work in the community, and he was awarded the 2010 National Latino Police Officer of the Year. In 2017, the National Educators Association awarded the Police Athletics for Community Engagement program the Sanchez Human Rights Award.
See Attached Organizational Chart
Most recently Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE) successfully completed construction of a Concession, Storage, and Restroom Facility and installation of electronic scoreboards at the Bob Campos Soccer Complex. This facility was designed to provide refreshments and relief for staff, participants, and their families, and storage and security for PACE equipment. With over 4,000 attendees on a weekly basis at this complex, this ½ million-dollar construction project was critical for the soccer complex and our participants. Currently PACE is managing the installation of turf fields, sunken dugouts, and new batting cases at our Christie Heights Baseball Complex. The addition of an indoor facility will allow PACE to meet our goal of offering year-round programming to youth in the qualified census tracts most adversely impacted by the pandemic. PACE programming is offered to all youth in the Omaha Metro Area. Over the last 5 years, PACE programming participation has averaged over 4,300 participants each year. Our largest participation year was 2019 prior to the pandemic with 5,894 participants.
PACE Community Collaborative Center
30983465.7
30983465.7
Capital project
Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE) is a 501c3 nonprofit entity that pairs at-risk youth with volunteer law enforcement officers and coaches in organized team sport and educational programming. PACE is seeking funding to construct a multi-use community facility that will be used to offer year-round FREE athletic programming for youth residing in the qualified census tracts in Omaha. Through an agreement with the City of Omaha, this facility will be located at Hitchcock Park (42nd & Q Streets). The facility will be 108,300 square feet and will have both indoor and outdoor soccer fields, baseball and football training areas, CrossFit training areas, Classrooms, Community Partner spaces, and a basketball/volleyball gym. PACE has been planning this facility since 2017 and is prepared to break ground in the spring of 2023, with estimated completion date of Summer of 2024. The project budget is $30,983,465.70 and includes all costs from construction materials, labor, site preparation, concrete work, and finishing costs. This facility will be transformational for South Omaha and its residents and will help energize the youth and their families though free athletic and education programs, and through health and wellness services offered by our community partners. This facility will spur significant advancements for the Southeast Omaha Qualified Census tracts by providing a world class facility that will not only be utilized by the youth most severely impacted by the pandemic, but by attracting world class sports organizations that will rent the facility for organized sporting activities when the facility is not being used by the PACE youth participants. Rental activities will; help draw visitors from outside the Omaha area, which will in turn provide sustainability for the facility, attract business to the area which will create long-lasting economic growth and a fundamental positive change through significant financial income for local area business and hotels in South Omaha. This facility completely aligns with the community-identified needs determined in the visioning workshops related to infrastructure, quality of life, community, entertainment, and recreation.
Please see attached timeline. Outdoor Fields timeline 6 months - March 2023 to October 2023. Indoor Facility - 16 to 18 months - March 2023 to June/July/August 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.)
Police Athletics for Community Engagement is proposing to build a multi-use facility that aligns with the Sustainable Community and Quality of Life Community Needs. This facility will be utilized for civic use, recreation, education, health and wellness services, and public safety. Once constructed PACE will facilitate FREE athletic and educational programming for youth residing in the Qualified Census Tracts and will team with community partners such as Boys Town to provide additional Free health and wellness services to all community members. The Center proposed is a world-class multi-sports facility that would house all the PACE programming and will collaborate with Omaha Metro nonprofits and service providers to offer wellness services needed in the community. Services will be offered to community members who have been most severely impacted by the pandemic. The facility will house a full-size NCAA sanctioned soccer field, basketball/volleyball court, strength/conditioning/Martial arts area, and classrooms/office space. The outside amenities will include 2 artificial turf baseball fields and 4 artificial turf soccer fields with field lights. All of this will complement the already existing ice rink and Olympic size pool located on the campus. There is a decline in youth sports in our country and in our community. But if you really look at the data, the decline is really occurring for the poor. Youth sports participation is rising among richer households. Income Inequality Explains the Decline of Youth Sports. - The Atlantic, "Well-off parents dedicate so much time and money to kids’ sports partly because of the college system, which dangles tantalizing rewards for the most gifted teenage athletes. In the 1990s, Division 1 and Division 2 colleges distributed about $250 million a year in full and partial scholarships to student athletes. Today that figure has grown to more than $3 billion. This scholarship jackpot gives some children from lower-income families a chance to attend schools they might not otherwise afford. But it also sends a clear message to richer parents looking to enhance their kids’ eventual application: Sports matter. As soon as some children enter second or third grade, their parents scramble to place them on youth travel teams, which will set them up for middle-school travel teams, which will set them up for high-school athletic excellence, which will make them more competitive for admissions and scholarships at select colleges." Most of the youth in our Qualified Census Tracts do not have the same opportunity for sports as the kids in West Omaha. PACE is working hard to give our underserved youth the same opportunities that the wealthy kids are afforded. This multi-purpose facility will have a massive indirect economic impact! This multi-purpose facility will help energize, recharge, and spur significant and favorable advancements in South Omaha and in particular advancements for our youth. This multi-use facility will also provide financial benefit to the area by creating visitor traffic to the area that will most certainly provide revenue to local area businesses and hotels, through rentals and tournaments hosted at the facility.
This facility completely aligns with the community-identified needs determined in the visioning workshops related to infrastructure, quality of life, community, entertainment, and recreation. Multiple areas of need defined through the visioning workshop process will be met with this indoor multi-use facility. In the South Omaha Needs section, findings indicate that there is a need for Sustainable Community items related to health, recreation, youth, and multi-use. This facility will assist South Omaha by providing programming and services that help to build and maintain a Sustainable Community. The programming offered at the facility will provide Quality of Life, another South Omaha Need defined through the Visioning Workshop, by creating stronger, more resilient youth, by supporting families with wellness services, by improving public safety through trust-building athletic activities with law enforcement and at-risk youth.
Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE) proposed multi-use facility aligns with the LB1024’s strategic priorities of projects in Qualified Census Tracts and Multipurpose Community Facilities. The proposed project will be located at Hitchcock Park which is in a Qualified Census Tract. PACE programming is offered to all youth in the Omaha Metro Area, but our registration statistics show that 97% of the youth that participate in our programming live in Qualified Census Tract areas in the Omaha Metro area. This multipurpose community facility will be utilized to provide free athletic, educational, and wellness services to those most adversely impacted by the pandemic.
Police Athletics for Community Engagement currently has 5 full-time and 3 part-time employees. PACE also employs over 30 contractors throughout the year to administer its free programming. With the addition of this multi-use facility, PACE will add one full-time site manager and 4 part-time employees to operate the facility. PACE will also employ multiple local area contractors to help clean and maintain the facility. Facility employee wages will range from $15 per hour to $25 per hour depending upon responsibilities. Throughout the construction phase, our contractor will employ approximately 2 dozen construction workers to facilitate the build of this project. The average construction job wage in Nebraska pays over $20 per hour. Labor costs for this project are estimated at $1,346,321.00 and will provide significant economic vitality for South Omaha. PACE has been working with Hawkins Construction Company to facilitate the planning and design for this project. Hawkins Construction Company, a local company, is located one block outside of a qualified census tract and in the heart of South Omaha at 2516 Deer Park Blvd. Hawkins employs many employees and subcontractors that reside in these qualified census tracts. This project will employ dozens of contractors and employees that reside in the qualified census tracts, creating more employment opportunities with meaningful wages
There will be at a minimum 4 permanent positions created that will be employed by PACE. There will be additional positions related to contractors hired to help maintain the facility.
At a minimum 24.
The average construction work in Nebraska makes over $20.00 per hour. The permanent positions at PACE will range from $15 to $25 per hour.
PACE has been working with Hawkins Construction Company to facilitate the planning and design for this project. Hawkins Construction Company, a local company, is located one block outside of a qualified census tract and in the heart of South Omaha at 2516 Deer Park Blvd. Hawkins employs many employees and subcontractors that reside in these qualified census tracts. This project will employ dozens of contractors and employees that reside in the qualified census tracts, creating more employment opportunities with meaningful wages.
The Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE) multi-use facility will benefit the community by improving the local community through a world-class health and wellness facility and will increase livability in the community by improving public safety and trust and by creating healthier and more resilient community members.
This facility will afford PACE the opportunity to offer FREE Athletic and Educational programming to the community on a year-round basis. Studies such as the ASPEN Institute’s, Project Play, show that active kids do better in life. Physically active youth are less likely to be obese, have higher test scores, are less likely to use drugs, less likely to smoke, less likely to become pregnant, more likely to go to college, have lower levels of depression, have higher self-esteem, have 7-8% higher annual earnings, lower health costs, and are more productive at work. Our motto at PACE has always been, we are not building world-class athletes, we are building world-class citizens for our community. Youth that participate are proven to have less involvement with the Juvenile Justice System and go on to lead healthy productive lives.
Beyond completion of construction of the facility, Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE) utilizes a custom-built registration and data collection platform to track and measure participant data. Our registration process collects demographic information on participants and parents/guardians and maintains participant performance information. PACE regularly measures program participation, and youth output measures tracking performance and improvement. PACE will continue to work with grant/data partners such as the Juvenile Justice Institute to collect, track, and measure the effectiveness of our programming. PACE also works with the Omaha Police Department to track and analyze Part I Uniform Crime in the 4 police patrol areas that cover the qualified census tract areas in Northeast and Southeast Omaha. This data is reported and analyzed quarterly and used to help PACE and the police department reduce and problem solve crime in the local area.
PACE regularly measures program participation, and youth output measures tracking performance and improvement. PACE will continue to work with grant/data partners such as the Juvenile Justice Institute to collect, track, and measure the effectiveness of our programming. PACE also works with the Omaha Police Department to track and analyze Part I Uniform Crime in the 4 police patrol areas that cover the qualified census tract areas in Northeast and Southeast Omaha. This data is reported and analyzed quarterly and used to help PACE and the police department reduce and problem solve crime in the local area.
Beyond completion of construction of the facility, Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE) utilizes a custom-built registration and data collection platform to track and measure participant data. Our registration process collects demographic information on participants and parents/guardians and maintains participant performance information. PACE will continue to work with the Omaha Police Department's Crime Analysis Unit to study crime data in our area. PACE will also continue to survey and measure the success of participants during and post participation.
Yes
Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE) partners with the City of Omaha all surrounding local law enforcement agencies including the Omaha Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Papillion Police Department, and the La Vista Police Department. These law enforcement agencies provide support through a full-time gang-unit officer assigned to PACE by the Omaha Police Department, and through officers who volunteer as coaches. PACE also partners with other local non-profit organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands (BGC), and Completely Kids. Both BGC and Completely Kids send their members to participate in PACE athletic and educational programming. We also partner with the Omaha Public Schools by providing after school soccer programming at OPS schools, and by providing play space to OPS High School Lacrosse and Soccer teams. At the new multi-use facility, PACE will be partnering with other non-profit organizations and service providers such as Boys Town (see attached letter of support) to provide health and wellness services to our participants and their families.
PACE has current MOU's with the City of Omaha, and is listed in the Omaha Police Department's Policy and Procedure Manual as an affiliate organization. Attached are letters of commitment from the City and from other partners. Formal MOU's with the city and project partners will be updated and in place once funding is secured.
No
This multi-use facility will be located at Hitchcock Park which is located at 4220 Q Street. At Hitchcock Park there is a large open space that is not being utilized. This multi-use complex and adjacent turf soccer/baseball fields will be built on this open space and will not interfere with any other facility located at the park.
Within one or more QCTs
This multi-use facility will be located in Qualified Census Tract # 71.01 but will serve community members from all of the Qualified Census Tracts in the Omaha Metro Area.
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
PACE and City of Omaha have a long-standing relationship with Hawkins Construction Company. Hawkins Construction Company is located in Southeast Omaha and employs many who reside in the Qualified Census Tracts. Hawkins Construction Company built our most recent project, the new Concession, Restroom, and Storage facility at our Bob Campos Soccer Complex. Hawkins Construction Company donated all design and planning for this project.
Please see the attached proposal documenting our rationale and detailed project budget.
LB 1024 funding will be used to fund the construction of the proposed multi-purpose facility.
Yes
Post construction, this multi-use facility will be sustained through rental revenue generated by the facility when not in use by PACE providing free athletic programming to youth. We have research other like facilities and the demand for rental use. We anticipate annual rental revenue of $291,000, and overhead costs of $125,00 per year. Giving a net of $150,000 that will be used to help fund PACE free programming provided. Once the facility is constructed, Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE) will hire a site manager and part time employees to manage the rentals and staff the facility. The PACE Director of Finance will be responsible for managing the revenue and expenses of the facility, and the Director of Programming will be responsible for managing the facility staff. PACE currently manages multiple fields and rentals at Al Veys Baseball Complex, Bob Campos Soccer Complex, and Christie Heights Baseball Complex. PACE currently has fiscal and financial controls and systems in place to manage this facility and all its financial operations. PACE uses QuickBooks for its accounting and payroll recordkeeping. The Director of Finance, overseen by the Executive Director and PACE Board of Directors, is the primary user of the QuickBooks system. The Treasurer of the Board of Directors also has access to and reviews the financial records in the QuickBooks system. On a monthly basis the QuickBooks system and all bank accounts are reviewed and reconciled by our accounting firm McMillen Dovali Co., PC. On a monthly basis, the Director of Finance produces financial statements (statement of activity, and statement of financial position) which are presented to, reviewed by, and approved by the Board of Directors. Within the QuickBooks system, PACE has defined separate program categories and project categories specific to each grant funded project. The PACE accounting system tracks all financial awards and keeps expenses tracked and categorized by financial award. This allows for quick and efficient accounting and auditing of all grant funded projects. Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE) is currently managing over 50 open grant awards and funding sources.
If not funded by LB 1024 funding, Police Athletics for Community Engagement will try to raise funding from philanthropic entities in the area. We are hearing that most non-profits are reducing their gifts and grants due to the current economic climate.
The multi-use facility includes indoor and outdoor spaces. The only scalability would be to have the outdoor space/fields and lighting be phase 2 of the project and funded separately.
The attached budget reflects the costs for both the indoor and outdoor spaces.
Throughout this project the PACE executive team will evaluate the success of this LB1024 grant funded project. The PACE executive team and its Board of Directors continue to fundraise in support of the PACE mission. PACE actively pursues funding from private non-profit organizations as well as grant funding from county, city, state, and federal sources. The Finance Committee meets on a quarterly basis to continually review PACE’s current financial position, pending funding sources, and to work on future funding opportunities. PACE fully anticipates the continued expansion and demand for services and will continue to fundraise to meet the needs of our community. PACE is a 501c3 entity that is solely funded by grants, donations, and sponsorships. With seventeen (17) years of fundraising experience as a non-profit, we are confident that we can raise future funding in support of our programming.
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Additional Location Documents (see application for list) Data table of uses (breakdown of how the requested funds will be used for your proposal) 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 Request Rationale Documentation Schedule