North Omaha Development Project Reviews 2010 Successes, Unveils 2011 Goals

Omaha, Neb., Jan. 27, 2011 - At a community meeting on Thursday, Jan. 27, the North Omaha Development Project (NODP) reviewed its 2010 successes and outlined an ambitious slate of objectives for 2011, laying the groundwork for another productive and transformative year. The meeting was held at The Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan Community College, 32nd and Sorensen Parkway.

"2010 was a year filled with grand openings and that's leading to great optimism about what we're going to accomplish in 2011," said NODP Executive Director Ed Cochran.

In fact, the new year has already started on a strong note for NODP as it advanced its 2011 goal of attracting business investment and jobs to the community. Earlier this month, Atlanta-based ALL(n)1 Security Services, an African-American woman-owned security enterprise, announced its plan to establish a regional headquarters in north Omaha.

"We are confident ALL(n)1 will find that north Omaha is the right place for their business, and we are pleased they have chosen this community for their future regional business expansion," said Cochran.

The company's arrival in north Omaha is linked to a collaborative effort between NODP, the Greater Omaha Chamber, the mayor's office and the north Omaha community, a partnership aimed at targeting and recruiting minority-owned businesses to Omaha. ALL(n)1 hopes to grow its local employment base to 100 people or more at the end of three years.

The ALL(n)1 announcement follows the 2010 arrival of three new financial institutions in north Omaha debuting last summer along the north Omaha financial corridor (Ames Avenue between 52nd and 30th streets). Those institutions include Centris Federal Credit Union, First National Bank and SAC Federal Credit Union. All opened full-service branches, bringing jobs, a full spectrum of financial services and state-of-the-art banking facilities to north Omaha.

"Financial institutions don't blindly make decisions where to build; they go where there is value and a strong business reason," said Cochran. "We believe this is proof of the economic viability of the north Omaha community."

The 22-block corridor also includes more established American National Bank, Bank of the West and Wells Fargo Bank branches as well as a second SAC Federal location, a drive-thru branch.

Additionally in 2010, in another partnership, NODP helped facilitate the purchase and December grand opening of the international headquarters and visitors center of the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation, a building that sits adjacent to the Malcolm X birth site at 34th and Evans streets.

"Initial feedback has been extremely positive. Due to the efforts of State Senator Brenda Council, Douglas County Commissioner Chris Rodgers and City Councilman Ben Gray, who are members of our executive committee, we are happy to play a role in this development. The Malcolm X Memorial Foundation has been functioning for more than 30 years and this visible sign of progress is being met with open arms," said Cochran. Expansion of this site is one of the primary goals mentioned by the north Omaha community during the formation of NODP.

Other 2010 projects and activities in which NODP played a part include:

Signs & Shapes International grand opening of its global headquarters in North Omaha Business Park I at 22nd and Paul streets
Outward Bound High Ropes Course début on the campus of the Omaha Home for Boys. This regional "destination location" will bring visitors and tourist dollars to north Omaha.
Renovation of the original location of the Nebraska Children's Home on Fontenelle Blvd.
The Neighborhood Development Action Plan (community charrettes), completed in partnership with NIFA, the Empowerment Network and Alliance Building Communities.

"We played different roles with each of these accomplishments. Sometimes we played the role of information gatherer; sometimes site selection; other times we generated community involvement or served as project catalyst to move the project ahead," explained Cochran.

In the realm of public policy, NODP also achieved several key victories, including the passage of a city ordinance intended to support small and emerging businesses. Cochran said the legislation, put forth by several of NODP's executive committee members, has had "significant positive effect on small businesses."

In 2010, NODP helped to fund the North Omaha Cares Navigator Project designed to address the unmet transportation needs of the north Omaha community. The survey portion of this project is well underway with an expected completion in the summer of 2011. This is in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency and the Urban League of Nebraska.

Cochran also outlined NODP's goals for 2011. "We will continue our engagement with the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation. We're excited about their progress in 2010 and look forward to this next year's efforts.

We will also be working with a yet to be determined East Village project," said Cochran. "We are looking at several project opportunities and are awaiting the final recommendation of the Neighborhood Development Action Plan, which we expect shortly.

East Village is the name of one of the two "zones" targeted for "intense business development focus" during the community vision and planning sessions held over the course of nine months last year. East Village is bound by the North Freeway to the west, 16th Street to the east, Pratt Street to the north and Cuming Street to the south.

Another focus in 2011 will be site development. NODP intends to lead the charge on developing commercial, retail and industrial sites. "We need to be in a position to have sites for business, retail and industrial expansion of companies in and accessible to the north Omaha community," said Cochran.

Targeted to launch in second quarter 2011, is NODP's Urban Entrepreneur Partnership with the Ewing Kauffman Foundation. This nationally recognized training model is designed to encourage entrepreneurship in North Omaha by providing business training, coaching and access to financing.

NODP will also continue its support of targeted employee training programs in partnership with the Chamber, Metropolitan Community College and Heartland Workforce Solutions. Training programs scheduled for 2011 are:

A soil remediation training partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
An intro-to-the trades utility construction training partnership with the Nebraska Chapter of the Utility Contractors Association.

"We believe as the economy comes back, employers will be more likely to be involved in and have need for more training programs of this type," said Cochran.

To date, 24 people from the north Omaha community have been hired as a result of these workforce training programs.

Since January 2008, NODP has been involved in more than $36 million in capital investment in the north Omaha community, 10 major projects and multiple smaller projects. In addition, almost 200 jobs are new or retained.

"Ours are not the only the efforts. We are delighted to be part of the coordinated efforts of many organizations working for the betterment of north Omaha," Cochran added.

In discussing all of NODP's business development successes, Cochran stressed the North Omaha Development Project represents a commitment on behalf of a multitude of partners. Without their cooperation, financial investment and commitment our result would have been greatly reduced.