A major development initiative along Lincoln’s South Beltway is moving forward following City Council approval of planning changes and agreements that could open approximately 971 acres for future residential, commercial and industrial development.
Jason Ball, LCoC Pes/CEO
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jason Ball discussed the project’s potential Tuesday morning with Jack Mitchell on KLIN’s LNK Today, describing it as a significant opportunity for long-term economic growth.
The development area extends generally from South 27th Street to South 68th Street near the South Beltway and involves a coalition of nine property owners.
“It’s a huge, huge water, sewer, roadway infrastructure project,” Ball said, describing the opportunity as potentially transformational for Lincoln.
City Council Approves Three Major Measures
At its October 26 meeting, the Lincoln City Council approved three related measures intended to facilitate development of the area.
The first amended the Lincoln-Lancaster County 2050 Comprehensive Plan, moving designated property from Tier 1, Priority C to Tier 1, Priority B for future growth. The amendment also changed certain future land-use designations from low-density residential and public or semi-public uses to commercial and industrial uses.
A second resolution approved a development agreement between the city and the South Beltway Coalition, establishing a framework for urbanization and infrastructure development.
The third approved an interlocal agreement between Lincoln and Lancaster County for coordinated improvements along Saltillo Road.
The agreements follow approximately three years of planning involving property owners, city and county officials, engineers and other community partners.
Attorney Kent Seacrest, representing the property owners, told council members the coordinated approach would help leverage the public investment already made in the South Beltway while creating opportunities for future housing and employment development.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the proposal.
Housing, Employment Parks and Commercial Growth
Ball said the development plans envision a mixture of market-rate housing, affordable housing, recreational trails and two employment parks.
“There are going to be areas that are market-rate housing. There are going to be areas that are subsidized or affordable supported housing,” Ball told Mitchell.
He also pointed to the potential for new retail, restaurant and office development as residential growth increases.
“All of that follows more rooftops,” Ball said.
He believes increasing Lincoln’s housing inventory will help attract additional businesses and investment, benefiting the broader community even beyond the immediate South Beltway area.
New Industrial Sites Could Address Development Limitations
One of the project’s most significant economic benefits could be the availability of additional industrial development sites.
Ball said Lincoln has struggled to accommodate some prospective industrial projects because of limitations involving available property.
Some traditional industrial development areas are approaching floodplains, where construction can become significantly more expensive or, in some cases, impractical.
“And that becomes very expensive or sometimes prohibitive to do industrial development out there,” Ball said.
The proposed South Beltway sites could provide larger development opportunities with improved access to major transportation routes, including Interstate 80 and highways connecting Lincoln with surrounding communities.
Ball said business inquiries received over the past several years have sometimes exceeded the city’s available inventory of suitable industrial property.
The Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development would work with property owners to market sites as they become available.
Saltillo Road Improvements Part of Infrastructure Plan
The development initiative also includes a coordinated approach to transportation improvements along Saltillo Road.
According to the October 26 City Council minutes, Lancaster County’s Saltillo Road project will incorporate three roundabouts and one turn-lane improvement, with construction planned in two phases.
The city-county agreement establishes a framework for coordinating the design, construction and funding of those improvements.
Pam Dingman, Lancaster County Engineer
Lancaster County Engineer Pam Dingman told council members that planning for improvements along the Saltillo Road corridor dates back to 2014.
She described the coordinated effort as a public-private partnership involving city and county governments, developers and federal transportation funding.
The broader infrastructure plans also include water and sewer extensions, additional roadway connections and recreational trails.
Lincoln on the Move Funding Plays a Role
Ball said some of the roadway improvements will receive support from Lincoln on the Move, the city’s voter-approved quarter-cent local-option sales tax program.
“This is exactly what we envisioned, which is true economic growth, true community footprint growth, to really enable some exciting stuff to happen,” Ball said.
The Chamber supported the sales tax initiative, and Ball characterized the South Beltway development as an example of how transportation investments can support broader economic growth.
The October 26 council minutes confirm the coordinated public-private funding approach, although they do not specify the total development cost or the precise amount of Lincoln on the Move funding committed to the project.
Development Could Take Years
Ball estimated that completing the necessary infrastructure could take three to four years, although a definitive construction timetable has not been established in the council minutes.
He also raised the possibility of eventually extending development planning to areas south of the South Beltway.
While the current initiative focuses on property north of the highway, Ball said the next question will be how Lincoln prepares for additional growth beyond that area.
The proposed development is also near the expanding WarHorse Casino property, which Ball believes could attract additional investment to southwest Lincoln.
The council’s actions establish planning changes and development agreements but do not constitute final approval for every individual residential, commercial or industrial project that may eventually be proposed.
For Ball, the larger significance is the opportunity to build on Lincoln’s substantial investment in the South Beltway.
The highway, he said, has already redirected significant truck traffic away from Nebraska Parkway. The next step is providing the infrastructure necessary to take advantage of the new transportation corridor.
Hear the complete conversation between Jason Ball and Jack Mitchell on KLIN’s LNK Today at KLIN.com.