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Spark
1111 N 13th Street, Suite 311, Omaha, NE 68102
https://www.sparkcdi.org/
https://www.facebook.com/SparkCDIOmaha; https://www.instagram.com/north_omaha_trail; https://www.instagram.com/fabric_lab_omaha/
Manne Cook
Urban Development Manager
manne@sparkcdi.org
+1 (402) 686-3147
Yes
Manne Cook, Urban Development Manager and Clarice Dombeck, Urban Development Assistant will be leading this project, with the full support and collaboration of the Spark team, our boards and partners.
advisory board and two contracted consultants that collectively support the creation, implementation and evaluation of our technical assistance services, lending programs, advocacy, and projects. The attached organizational chart highlights the roles of each team member.
Spark is a nonprofit community development intermediary, working in Omaha since 2016 to profoundly transform disinvested neighborhoods into prosperous and thriving communities. Since 2021, Spark has successfully supported the establishment of the Fabric Lab initiative, a Black led, urban design lab, community hub, and access point on North 24th Street that centers and supports Black spatial practitioners (architects, planners, creatives, and cultural entrepreneurs), lead the rehab, management, and lease-up of the Fabric Bays (Fabric LLC. 2514-2522 N. 24th Street), a mixed-use commercial development located at 24th and Ohio Streets in North Omaha. Fabric Lab is also leading the development of the first phase of the North Omaha Trail, running from 31st and Sprague to 24th and Ohio - as well as urban design efforts within a quarter to one-half mile of the Trail as well as future phases of the Trail.
North Omaha Trail Phase 2 & 3
15486800.0
14582945.0
Combination of capital project and service/program
Spark is requesting$14,582,495 to complete the North Omaha Trail. The first phase of this multi-modal trail is nearly finished with construction for Phase 1, stretching from 31st and Sprague to 24th and Ohio Streets set for a soft opening and community tree planting on October 22, 2022. This Trail is an innovative public health and cultural infrastructure investment in North Omaha. Phase 2 will establish a 2.5-mile connection between North Omaha’s historic Black communities and the multi-million-dollar investments happening in Omaha’s Riverfront and Downtown areas. Phase 3 will extend this connectivity, accessibility, and community space to other North Omaha areas like Benson and Miller Park. Funding will also support the purchase of e-bikes for Trail riders to use as well as sidewalk and alleyway repair to increase connectivity.
With this funding, construction on Phase 2 can begin July 2023, with the connection to downtown and the greater Omaha trail network being fully completed by July 2026. Phase 3 will be designed by December 2026, with construction finished by 2028. The attached timeline outlines completion for each component of the project.
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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.) 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.)
By its design, the proposed project directly aligns with the multimodal transportation and infrastructure priorities and with the community’s outspoken desire for more walkable and connected neighborhoods. The North Omaha Trail will provide a safe, beautiful, and culturally inviting place to walk, run, scoot, bike, and generally move about in neighborhoods and communities that have endured decades of devaluation, disinvestment, displacement, and other forms of systemic racism. This project will continue to address the legacy of intentional disenfranchisement that has left vast disparities in these communities' public health, mobility and socio-economic wellbeing. Specifically, from years of community engagement and planning efforts, in North Omaha there is a well-documented account of the community’s demand for investments that address the areas lack of sidewalk connectivity that has resulted in disconnected neighborhoods and communities - this neighborhood trail innovatively begins to solve that problem. The project also aligns with the quality of life and sustainable community priorities by providing access to recreation and natural “green” spaces and elevating the livability of neighborhoods and communities along the North Omaha Trail (specifically those from QCTs 3, 6, 7, 11, 12 and 16 and 60). The Trail will positively impact a wide range of public health and quality-of-life outcomes. Throughout the design and construction Fabric Lab will continue to engage neighbors and businesses to help inform and design the public art installations and natural landscape elements (trees, gardens, etc.) along the trail to ensure that the North Omaha Trail reflects North Omaha’s art, history, and culture, prioritizing BIPOC voices and creative vision (see attached Trail Design Guide).
The proposed North Omaha Trail project addresses several key threats identified at the North Omaha Visioning Workshops. The first threat it addresses is “aging infrastructure is a barrier for attracting investments and maintaining quality of life.” This project seeks to bring overdue infrastructure improvements to the neighborhoods that make up the heart of North Omaha. Direct impacts of the Trail include Increased connectivity, increased foot traffic, increased patronage for local businesses, and improved neighborhood safety. The second threat the North Omaha Trail addresses is “negative external media and perception.” North Omaha suffers from a lack of no-cost activities and spaces for people of all ages, especially youth and young adults. The North Omaha Trail has been designed to be a no cost community centric public space, based upon the successful examples from across the country like Atlanta’s Beltline Trail, New Orleans’ Lafitte Greenway, Detroit’s Dequindre Cut, Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway, and local examples like the Field Club Trail - the North Omaha Trail will draw in neighbors and both regional and national tourists alike while highlighting the good in the community. The third threat the North Omaha Trail will address is connectivity between North Omaha and Downtown, and the rest of the Omaha Metro area. The second phase of the North Omaha Trail will directly connect North Omaha to the transformative investments occurring in Downtown Omaha and along the Riverfront via North 24th and 30th Streets. This is an important connection for the community because it can begin to remedy the City's historically entrenched patterns of segregation exemplified by policies like Redlining, the intentional construction of Highways through Black and Brown communities, and other historically ill guided “urban renewal” policies. The fourth threat the North Omaha Trail addresses is the preservation and reclamation of culture and history through public art and wayfinding projects. Public art projects such as murals, public installations, historic markers, and wayfinding projects can help tell the story of North Omaha’s past, present, and future. In the last year, Spark, through the work of the Fabric Lab, has supported over thirty community art & culture projects and events in conjunction with the first phase of the Trail, including Juneteenth Joy Fest, Juneteenth Nebraska’s Family Day, Pull up & Vibe, Healing Roots African Diaspora Garden, and several other community projects.
Spark’s project aligns with all three of LB1024’s strategic priorities. The construction of the Trail will foster desirable transformational and fundamental change by creating a one-of-a-kind multimodal link stitching together North Omaha’s neighborhoods that have been eviscerated by Highway 75, vastly increasing their access and connectivity to the investments in Omaha’s urban core. The Trail will provide people of all ages, especially neighborhood youth, the opportunity to engage in healthy recreational activities, surrounded by public art and quality greenspaces. This project seeks to create infrastructure that supports an ecology of health, healing, addressing North Omaha’s social determinants of health, and creating transformative change. However, we make space here to recognize that the North Omaha Trail alone will not address all of (North) Omaha’s “preexisting conditions” and acknowledge that this project is only a piece of what is needed to make North Omaha and the City of Omaha whole. The project will promote long-lasting economic growth by increasing the vibrancy, walkability, and connectivity across Highway 75, passing through 30th and Ames, 24th & Lake, and further south to downtown and the Riverfront and north to Miller Park. Further development of this public infrastructure project will undoubtedly spur increased investment along the trail route, by improving the quality of the area's infrastructure and built environment. The project has the potential to create jobs mirroring historic job-creating government programs like the WPA and the TVA on a smaller scale. This will create a long-lasting economic boost for North Omaha.
Based upon the employment numbers for jobs created during Phase 1 construction, we anticipate between 25-50 temporary construction jobs created for Phase 2 construction, in the site preparation and concrete installation fields. Work on the alleyway and sidewalks is expected to produce another 25-50 jobs for the duration of the work. These jobs will pay Davis Bacon wages for the duration of the project during construction months (spring, summer and fall of 2024, 2025 and 2026). Additionally, the Trail will generate jobs for BIPOC artists who will design murals and public art installations along the Trail and support increased tourism in the area - which will drive further economic growth.
TBD
TBD
at or above Davis Bacon wages
The proposed North Omaha Trail project reconnects North Omaha communities with economic opportunities downtown. In addition to the temporary jobs created by the development of this Trail in QCTs 7, 11 (Phase 1), 12, 16 (Phase 2), 6, 3 and 60 (Phase 3), the Trail itself will help small local businesses along the trail route, as the increased connectivity will produce increased foot traffic and commercial opportunities within a quarter- to half-mile (walking and biking distance).
Neighborhoods where children can safely walk or bike to a park, school, or to a neighbor’s home are generally also good places to live. Trails can safely connect people to the places they want to be, economically benefiting local businesses near these routes. Communities in North Omaha know this, so it should be no surprise that this Trail has been a community vision for years. The proposed route builds upon years of local, regional, and national planning efforts, including: the North Omaha Development Project, the Village Revitalization Plan, and the recent Forever North Strategy.
The trail will also bring many health and wellness benefits. People realize exercise is important for maintaining good health in all stages of life; however, many do not regularly exercise. Generational health disparities which lead to why the community has so many preexisting conditions which were magnified by the COVID 19 pandemic. Providing convenient access to places for physical activity, such as trails, increases the level of physical activity in a community. In addition to helping control weight, physical activity helps prevent heart disease, helps control cholesterol levels and diabetes, lowers the risk of certain cancers and helps reduce anxiety and depression. Moreover, people have a right to move about their daily life and access the resources and amenities a city or neighborhood has to offer without being subject to harm. This infrastructure investment will ignite sustainable long lasting community benefits that will continue to endow North Omaha for decades to come.
The proposed expansion of the North Omaha Trail builds upon years of local, regional, and national planning efforts, including: the North Omaha Development Project, the Village Revitalization Plan, and the recent Forever North Strategy. The route also has the potential to serve as a component of the nationally designated US Bicycle Route System and the Historic California Trail system, and our collaboration with National Parks Service will help achieve these designations. Moreover, this project will put Omaha in good company with other destination cities, as the North Omaha Trail project follows the examples set by other successful urban trails like the Atlanta’s Beltline Trail, New Orleans’ Lafitte Greenway, Detroit’s Dequindre Cut, Indianapolis Cultural Trail, and Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway.
Increased positive health outcomes for neighbors and residents of North Omaha. Access to the North Omaha Trail will help increase physical activity - walking, running, biking, etc. - and improve the health and wellbeing of those using the Trail.
These outcomes can be measured by Trail and e-Bike usage and by improved health outcomes. Spark will work with the City of Omaha, Heartland B-Cycle and the Health Department to demonstrate improvement.
In addition to the outcomes identified above and pertaining to Omaha Economic Recovery Act objectives, other North Omaha Trail related outcomes include the following: - Increased development of vacant lots within walking distance of the North Omaha Trail. The attached site map shows the proposed Trail footprint and also the quarter- and half-mile footprint. We anticipate that the 100 vacant lots along the Trail will see dynamic infill results, particularly when combined with other efforts like Front Porch Investments Greenling Fund and Spark Capital’s East Omaha Loan Fund. - Increased philanthropic support for art, culture, and placemaking activities along the Trail. As Phase 1 construction was primarily funded by private foundations, government support of this infrastructure and multi-modal transportation project will free up scarce philanthropic funding to support the artistic, historical, and cultural elements along the trail.
Yes
the City of Omaha, Keep Omaha Beautiful, the Papio-Missouri Natural Resources District, and the National Parks Service, North High School, Keep Omaha Beautiful, GirlTrek Omaha, North Omaha Legacy Tours, Union for Contemporary Art, Juneteenth Joy Fest, Pull Up and Vibe, and numerous others
the City of Omaha, Keep Omaha Beautiful, the Papio-Missouri Natural Resources District, and the National Parks Service
No
Phase 1: (Construction Completed October 22, 2022) stretches north from 24th and Ohio to the 30th and Sprague Streets, connecting the 24th & Lake and 30th & Ames Neighborhood centers and Historic Districts. Moreover, this trail links to two planned future trail projects at 30th & Ames, the Beltline trail to 40th & Hamilton and the Paxton Blvd Trail to Fontenelle Park adjacent to the Benson neighborhood. Phase 2: (The focus of this application) will create a vital link that will connect 24th & Lake to Bob Kerry Bridge, Riverfront Developments, and Council Bluffs’ FIRST AVE trail. Phase 3: (Future focus) will include a northern connection from 30th & Ames to Miller Park and enhance Paxton Blvd to create a connection by way of Fontenelle Park to Benson. Attached is a Working Map of the proposed Trail route.
Within one or more QCTs
See attached maps of the Trail and surrounding quarter- and half-mile areas.
Yes
No
No
No
No
Cost estimates were provided by Lamp Rynearson, the engineering team involved in Phase 1 construction of the Trail.
No
The attached Project Cost Summary includes detailed budgets with budget narratives to explain costs.
Funding will support the construction and site preparation costs for the Trail as well as reconstituting the alleyways and repairing/replacing sidewalks near the Trail, the purchase of new e-bikes and operating support for construction and project management. The attached Project Cost Summary shows costs for each component and the amount of LB1024 funding required.
Yes
Spark will continue to manage the project through construction completion of Phase 3. Ongoing maintenance will be provided by the City as it is a public space.
Spark will request support from the Sherwood Foundation, the Lozier Foundation and other private philanthropic entities to support construction costs not covered by LB1024 funding, as well as supporting the art and cultural placemaking needed to help activate and beautify the trail. Funding and support from the Sherwood Foundation, Papio-LaVista NRD, and National Parks Service, and Keep Omaha Beautiful, totaling more than $2 million, contributed to the development of Phase 1.
Yes, if limited in funds, we could complete only Phase 2 of the Trail, which would connect from 24th Street and Ohio to the Riverfront. The attached project budget separates out the costs for Phase 2 and Phase 3, as well as the individual components for program support, alleyway and sidewalk replacement and bike purchase.
See attached project cost summary.
Spark is committing more than $900,000 to the project – $500,000 of which has already been secured in private fundraising to support the management of Trail construction, branding, and community event activation efforts.
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1.0
1.0
1.0
Additional Location Documents (see application for list) Organizational Chart Plans and detailed descriptions, including pictures and a map of the site location/surrounding area Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses Schedule