Bellevue water park start marks first new major tourist build in a Nebraska ‘good life' district
Dirt is moving at the site of future Bellevue Bay Indoor Water Park at Highways 75 and 34. The groundbreaking event Thursday marks the first new major tourism construction project at a Nebraska good life district, officials say. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)
BELLEVUE, Nebraska — Construction officially kicked off Thursday on what Bellevue called the 'crown jewel' of its state-approved good life district, despite uncertainty still swirling around a proposed revamp of the law governing such districts.
Dozens of people, including federal and state lawmakers, attended the groundbreaking event for the Bellevue Bay Indoor Water Park, billed as the fourth-largest tourist attraction of its kind in the country.
With dirt already moving, officials say it becomes the first major new construction venture to launch at any of the state's good life districts.
Currently, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development has approved four districts as a result of the Good Life Transformational Projects Act that was passed in 2023, updated in 2024 and again is poised for legislative revisions.
Mayor Rusty Hike told the gathered group that entertainment, retail and other development slated to rise at the 550-acre district northwest of U.S. Highways 75 and 34 should ease the local property tax burden and draw more tourism-related revenue to the city and state.
'This area will be the economic engine that does just that,' he said. 'We need to bring in more industrial type properties, high-paying jobs, retail, community services and entertainment dollars that will vastly increase our tax base.'
Made of glass, height of a seven-story building
Spans nearly 60,000 square feet
415,000 gallons of water
3,386 feet of slides, highest reaching 60 feet
Grotto area with adult beverages; spaces for parties
Bellevue Bay water park, expected to open by 2027, features a retractable roof, lazy river, slides, a surf machine, rock-climbing and private cabanas. It is one piece of the broader job-creating entertainment-centric site also to include hotels, retailers and restaurants that Hike said is projected to bring more than $1 billion in additional value to the city's tax rolls.
The city-owned project, initially financed with $60 million in bonds, is to be paid off partly with revenue generated from the water park. Also helping is the incentive state lawmakers approved as part of the Good Life law.
Under the law, the state sales tax imposed within good life districts is to be halved, from 5.5% to 2.75%. Bellevue officials say the city, in turn, plan to levy an occupation tax on businesses in the district to essentially recoup that eliminated sales tax.
'Visitors will come from distances within and greater than 300 miles of this location,' said Hike.
In an interview, Hike acknowledged frustration with a proposal under consideration in the Legislature to revise and add to the Good Life law that was the foundation for Bellevue's project. He voiced some of his objections to Legislative Bill 707 during a public hearing Wednesday at the Capitol.
Bellevue balks at proposed fixes to 'Good Life' law, though hearing draws mostly support
Bellevue officials say they have a meeting next week with State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area, who introduced the bill, now made a priority by Speaker John Arch of La Vista.
Among other speakers at Thursday's event were State Sen. Victor Rountree of Bellevue, U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., K.C. Belitz, director of Nebraska's Department of Economic Development and Bellevue City Administrator Jim Ristow.
Rountree, newly elected to the Legislature, talked about the growth of Nebraska's oldest city in one of its fastest-growing counties.
'I arrived here at Offutt Air Force Base back in March of 2008 … and over the course of that time I've seen tremendous growth here in the area.'
Belitz said tourism lodging tax dollars to Nebraska hit a new record last year, and he expects the district to be a magnet that pulls many of those visitors.
Said Belitz: 'This will change the face of Bellevue for seven generations.'
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