Housing project planned for south half of former school property
Mix of low-income eligible and workforce homes proposed
BEATRICE – Redevelopment plans using tax increment financing for additional housing in Beatrice have been approved by the Beatrice City Council.
Approval was given Tuesday night, following public hearings on the proposed low-income housing and workforce housing plans on the south grounds of the former Stoddard Elementary School. The school building itself is being repurposed into senior housing. A new playground is planned between the housing areas. City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer described the scope of the project by Hoppe Development.
"The south half of Stoddard School site...what they're looking at building, is 38 units...33 of those units would be for low-income...five would be for market rate. They sent me a couple different proposals...but the easiest way, if you've driven on Highway 77 north through Lincoln, about at Pioneer Boulevard and you look off to the west....those row houses, if you will....it's that kind of style that they're looking at."
The actions now send the modifications back to the Community Redevelopment authority for final consideration of the plans.
Elected officials also approved rezoning property in the north Gage County Industrial Park, following a public hearing. The area is being rezoned from agriculture, to general industrial.
The Beatrice City Council has approved executing a federal grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation for funding the city’s CAST Initiative. The Court Street Access and Safety Transportation project will make use of a more than $21 million RAISE grant, aimed at redirecting truck traffic south one block from Court Street in the downtown and making pedestrian-friendly improvements. Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer says it’s been a significant amount of time to reach this point.
“We were given the notice of award on June 26th of 2024. We received this grant award on Thursday. I'm not sure why it took so long to kick this thing out....there's not much in this agreement. Notably, if you look at some of the timelines in there, it's a very condensed timeline that we have to get this project done."
The deadline for final design of the improvements is September of 2028, with construction under the grant to extend no later than December 15th of 2030. The Nebraska Department of Transportation will administer the federal grant.