Bill moves forward, but with resistance, to expand boundaries for North Omaha business park
The boundaries of the Omaha Inland Port Authority. (Courtesy of City of Omaha)
LINCOLN — A bill aimed at enlarging the area where a long-awaited North Omaha business park could be developed advanced Tuesday to its final reading in the Nebraska Legislature.
However, Legislative Bill 290, introduced by State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha, faced continued resistance led by State Sen. Bob Andersen of Sarpy County.
McKinney told the lawmaking body that he was asking for flexibility on the boundaries because there are problems with the top two locations identified by the development team awarded the $90 million in state funds to prepare the industrial site.
McKinney's bill would drop a requirement that the park be located within two miles of a major airport, instead allowing it to be within the broader boundaries of the Omaha Inland Port Authority.
McKinney also chairs the board that oversees the Port Authority. Its jurisdiction, members said, is roughly 3,000 acres, although not all of that is buildable property.
A new twist in $90M Omaha airport area business park plan gets mixed reaction
The $90 million for a business park was part of the Economic Recovery Act approved by the Legislature in 2022 and updated in 2023. The act, which included other elements, was championed by McKinney and then-Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha.
A team led by the nonprofit Omaha Economic Development Corp., Burlington Capital and the Greater Omaha Chamber won the $90 million grant to develop the park. The team plans to use the funds to prepare a shovel-ready site and to market the area to businesses that would build a job-producing industrial hub.
The Omaha Inland Port Authority Board was established after the Economic Recovery Act laid out parameters for the business park. The Port Authority Board now has oversight.
One of the two sites the OEDC team identified as a priority location for the park has environmental cleanup expenses that could cost $40 million, McKinney has said. The other contains numerous households, some of which have balked at relocation to make way for the park.
During debate Tuesday, Andersen noted that he opposed the bill during committee stage and again during legislative debate.
Once again, Andersen charged that McKinney was 'unclear' on certain details such as how much of the Economic Recovery Act funds remained unspent. With the budget shortfall facing the state, he said lawmakers should consider stopping the business park plan.
The Legislature voted 25-3 to advance the bill. Twenty legislators were present but chose not to vote. One senator was excused. A bill with no emergency clause needs 25 votes to pass with the governor's signature.
The bill had passed the first round Feb. 28 with a 31-5 vote.
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