City officials plan to install a new public park in northwest Lincoln by the end of 2025, with the announcement of a 154-acre land parcel acquisition generally located north of Interstate-80 at N. 21st Street and Arbor Road.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird was joined by Parks & Rec Director Maggie Stuckey-Ross and other community partners Thursday to make the announcement, and revealing the name of the forthcoming park to be “Cornhusker Bank Park,” in honor Alice Dittman who became the the first woman to serve as a bank president in Lincoln and Omaha in 1975 for Cornhusker Bank. Dittman passed away in September of 2023.
“Thanks to the generous support of our public and private partners, Cornhusker Bank Park will enhance the natural environment and quality of life for our friends and neighbors in northwest Lincoln and for everyone in our community for generations to come,” Mayor Gaylor Baird said. “This new park will add to the green tapestry of Lincoln’s parks and advance our goal to become the quality-of-life capital of the country.”
Usage of the land will be comprised of:
- 85 acres for wetland/floodplain conservation
- 58 acres for Cornhusker Bank Park
- 11 acres for the future home of Lower Platte South Natural Resources District main offices
The Solidago Conservancy, which works with landowners and other partners to conserve natural areas, protect green spaces, and to connect people with open land, purchased the land for $3 million in February. The City acquired the land from the conservancy through a public-private funding effort.
Stuckey-Ross said the new park fulfills a long-term goal in the Lincoln/Lancaster County Comprehensive Plan to provide a community park in northwest Lincoln.
“Our department is dedicated to providing future generations with sustainable and enriching natural places to enjoy, to explore and to play,” Stuckey-Ross said. “It has been a pleasure to work alongside our partners on this project.”
The future park will be directly west of the 127-acre Arbor Lake Conservation Area and south of the 156-acre Shoemaker Marsh Conservation Area, both of which are owned by the City of Lincoln. The new park is also less than one mile away from Alvo Road Trail in the City’s trail network and within a three mile service area for nearly 9,000 residences.
Over the next year, the City will work with the community to identify what amenities and features should be part of the park. The Parks Department is developing a master plan for the park and anticipates completion of initial buildout that includes a parking lot and some trails by the end of 2025.