Nebraska

Developer: $90M Omaha airport area business park project won't use eminent domain • Nebraska Examiner

Published

1 year ago

July 18, 2024

Developer: M Omaha airport area business park project won't use eminent domain • Nebraska Examiner

OMAHA — A development group that was awarded $90 million in public funds to prepare a business park near Omaha’s airport faced a crowd Wednesday night with a common concern: Will they be forced from their homes?

“We’re not strong-arming anybody,” Michael Maroney of the Omaha Economic Development Corp. told the roughly 150 people, most of whom live on the land eyed for the project. “Eminent domain is not on the table.”

George Achola of Burlington Capital addresses the Wednesday night group gathered to hear about the proposed Omaha airport area business park. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)

Maroney said his team, which also includes Burlington Capital and the Greater Omaha Chamber, is not interested in pursuing the business park north of Carter Lake and west of the airport unless it is able to assemble enough property voluntarily.

Skeptics

Under the plan, the developers would clear about 160 acres currently occupied by households, small urban farms and other properties and turn the site into shovel-ready land where manufacturers, distributors and other industries could build plants and create jobs.

Some in the crowd remained skeptical of eminent domain.

“Somebody is making money. It’s not going to be me,” said Dave Gillespie.

Dave Gillespie is among property owners who would be relocated if the business park were to be developed as planned. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)

Many left wanting more details.

“They’re beating around the bush,” said Jason Johnson.

Others were thankful that the development group finally reached out.

Although Maroney and his partners fielded questions at an earlier forum, Wednesday’s gathering was the first community outreach meeting organized and led by the group since Gov. Jim Pillen in January announced the award.

State lawmakers representing North Omaha and others have criticized the developers for not including enough community input in developing the plan for the business park that would dislocate scores of residents.

During the packed meeting at Sherman Elementary School’s gym, Maroney and George Achola of Burlington Capital spent time explaining the history of the business park vision and the group’s previous guardedness. They said the team received a final contract agreement with the state just about two weeks ago.

“Now we have some level of authority that we’d like to move this thing forward,” said Maroney.

Digging deep

Still needed is a letter of support from the newly formed Omaha Inland Port Authority, which is charged with overseeing economic development in a roughly 300-acre zone of northeast Omaha that includes the proposed business park.

Homes, urban farm stand at site of proposed Omaha business park buoyed by $90M in state funds

Achola said he anticipates that the team will start to “dig deep” around October and discuss relocation/compensation plans with area residents. Early next year, he said, the developers should have a good idea of whether it will have enough property to carry out the plan.

When asked about the threshold for viability, the developers said much depends on how much of a concentrated area they could assemble. If enough of a mass is not achieved, Achola said, “We probably have to move on.”

An audience member asked if the developers had a backup plan. To that, they said another tract in the general area might be a fallback.

A deadline looms. The state grant funds are to be allocated by the close of 2027, the developers said.

The meeting, attended also by Omaha City Councilwoman Juanita Johnson, included information presented by Midwest Right of Way Services, which is to work with the developer and neighborhood in acquisition and relocation.

‘If the price is right…’

Jason Johnson said he was doubtful that his family members, who have lived near each other for generations on spacious acreages, would be able to be compensated fairly enough. He said they live near downtown Omaha, the airport, Carter Lake and each other.

Toni Kuhn, a resident in the area of the proposed airport area business park. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)

“If I wanted to move for market value, I’d have moved already,” he said.

Hank Schlotfeld and Gillespie questioned whether eminent domain still would be “off the table” if they were among a small percentage of “holdouts.”

Robin Lincoln questioned whether the project could even fulfill its goal of job creation.

“We got jobs, with nobody wanting to work them,” she said. “Look around. ‘Help wanted’ signs everywhere.”

Toni Kuhn said she was worried that her house, handed down by a family member, was in disrepair and wouldn’t yield enough compensation from the development team for her to find another house.

She said many people are afraid to move from an area where they’ve been rooted for a lifetime.

“We’re happy,” she said. “But if the price is right, I will sell.”

Shown here is a potential development site of a business and industrial park envisioned west of Eppley Airfield in northeast Omaha. This tract is included within the larger boundaries of a proposed North Omaha inland port authority district that is driving Legislative Bill 164. (Courtesy of Lamp Rynearson)

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Nebraska

IU dominated but then ‘it was just turnovers’ to blow 16-point lead vs Nebraska

Published

5 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

IU dominated but then ‘it was just turnovers’ to blow 16-point lead vs Nebraska

Indiana men’s basketball lost to Nebraska 83-77 after leading by as many as 16 points.
Coach Darian DeVries cited a bad stretch, including key fouls on Tucker DeVries and turnovers, as the turning point.
The Hoosiers have three more opportunities for a Quad 1 win in their upcoming games.

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana men’s basketball coach Darian DeVries thought his team played well for about 28 minutes Saturday afternoon.

In those 28 minutes, IU built up as much as a 16-point lead against undefeated Nebraska. The Hoosiers went on a 12-2 run to end the first half, then extended that lead early in the second half.

Then, the defense started crumbling. Tucker DeVries picked up two fouls in the course of 21 seconds, forcing him to the bench. The Hoosiers started turning the ball over.

And Indiana’s upset bid fell apart, as the Hoosiers dropped an 83-77 decision to the Cornhuskers (16-0, 5-0 Big Ten).

“It’s disappointing, for sure,” Darian DeVries said. “We played well for a good 25, 27, 28 minutes, whatever, and then just had a bad stretch in there, and the game flipped. That’s why the turnovers are a big piece of that. We had, (a 16-point lead) and Tucker picked up his third and fourth foul on back-to-back possessions. Then they went on a 10-0 run right after that. That was a big turning point in the game, I thought, when he picked those two up.”

It seemed like the coaching staff (and fans) didn’t agree with those fouls, either.

Tucker DeVries’ third foul came as he fell on the ground while trying to defend Berke Buyuktuncel’s shot. Buyuktuncel continued to attempt a shot after the fall, and he got tangled in DeVries’ legs, falling himself, and officials called a foul on DeVries. Both Tucker and Darian DeVries, along with the crowd of 13,000 fans, didn’t agree with that foul.

Tucker DeVries’ fourth foul, which forced him to the bench for eight minutes, came just 21 seconds after his third. On the Hoosiers’ next offensive possession, DeVries attempted to shoulder his defender to get more space, and got called for the offensive foul and the turnover.

Indiana (12-4, 3-2) turned the ball over on four of its next five possessions, Darian DeVries said, and Nebraska capitalized for a 12-2 run to tie the game.

“I just think we didn’t have the type of possessions we needed after (Tucker DeVries) went out again, and most of them, it was just turnovers,” Darian DeVries said. “We didn’t get shots at the goal. I thought there might’ve been one or two in there where I think Lamar (Wilkerson) drove it hard and tried going through contact, and we didn’t get one there, but outside of that, we just didn’t get very good possessions. Our movement wasn’t as good.”

After Nebraska went on that run, all the momentum shifted to the Cornhuskers. In ways, the Hoosiers couldn’t get out of their own head, and the mistakes kept coming.

“We’ve talked to them a lot about that next play mentality,” Darian DeVries said. “Win that next play, and not compound mistakes. I thought tonight, again, for a stretch there was a period where we let one mistake turn into two. Then, instead of digging in and really making sure we get a quality possession the next time, we compounded it with another turnover. It led to back-to-back-to-back. All of a sudden your lead is gone, and momentum is real. It shifted pretty quickly there.”

This game, especially taking into account the 16-point lead Indiana once had, was a crucial opportunity for the Hoosiers to get their first Quad 1 win of the season.

But the Hoosiers, sitting at No. 30 in the NET rankings, still have three straight Quad 1 opportunities coming up in two road tilts at Michigan State and Michigan and a home game against Iowa in the next two weeks.

Those games, much like Nebraska, will be tall tasks. But, DeVries said, if the Hoosiers can execute for a full game like they did in those 28 minutes on Saturday, they’ll have a chance at them.

“When they’re executing the way that they did the first 25 minutes, it looks really good,” DeVries said. “And they’re doing a great job, and they’re defending and getting movement and things.”

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Nebraska

$3,125 Nebraska Pick 4 winning ticket sold in York

Published

17 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

,125 Nebraska Pick 4 winning ticket sold in York

LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) – One lucky player who bought a Nebraska Pick 4 ticket for the Thursday drawing is holding a ticket worth $3,125.

The ticket was sold at Pump & Pantry #16, 109 Lincoln Avenue, in York. The winning numbers from Thursday’s Nebraska Pick 4 draw were 09, 06, 01, 02.

Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Tickets with total prize amounts of $501 to $19,999 must be claimed by mail or at a Regional Lottery Claim Center. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website, nelottery.com, or by calling 800-587-5200.

Nebraska Pick 4 is a daily Lotto game from the Nebraska Lottery. Players select four numbers, each from a separate set of digits 0 through 9, for a chance to win up to $6,000. Players decide what type of play style and potential prizes to play for by choosing from one of six bet types. The odds of winning the $3,125 prize in Nebraska Pick 4 are 1 in 10,000.

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