Millions of dollars in new infrastructure investment projects created by local leaders in the City of Wayne (pop. 6,133) have earned recognition from the State of Nebraska. The Department of Economic Development (DED) announced the community’s recertification in Nebraska’s Economic Development Certified Community (EDCC) program. DED’s Northeast Business Development Consultant, Deb Poehling, presented the award to city officials earlier this month.
Wayne is one of 41 communities in the statewide program, which is sponsored by the Nebraska Diplomats and administered by DED. Nebraska leaders established the EDCC program in 2005 to recognize communities for preparedness to attract new industries and expand existing businesses. Qualifying communities must identify a well-defined program that engages business leaders to support an environment for economic growth. This includes documenting available sites and buildings, developing online marketing efforts, and implementing strategic planning. The City of Wayne received EDCC certification in 2008 and earned recertifications in 2013 and 2018.
City officials leveraged several state and federal economic programs to create opportunities for business development, new infrastructure, and recreational assets. The community earned assistance from Nebraska’s Civic and Community Center Financing Fund (CCCFF) for the construction of Wayne’s Prairie Park recreational project. The ongoing development efforts will expand parks and recreational opportunities through a multi-phased project. Once complete, Prairie Park will have transformed 25 acres of a decommissioned sewage lagoon into parks and recreational space in the southeast quadrant of the city. The $12-$15 million project will include a four-acre lake, an amphitheater with an open-air stage, and 17 new full-service camper pads. Additionally, the development will include new baseball, softball, and soccer fields; a bathhouse and playground equipment; pedestrian trail additions and extensions; and updated parking. Prairie Park will serve as headquarters for the City of Wayne’s Parks & Recreation department.
Next door to Prairie Park is a new private investment in housing. The Prairie Park Apartments project includes a 144-unit facility and features a central clubhouse, garages, and numerous in-unit amenities. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) dollars were utilized in collaboration with the City of Wayne to develop the nearby Prairie Park Lake. TIF projects encourage private investments in deteriorating areas by allowing city governments to repay for increased public investments in property taxes spurred by new development.
In 2022, the city received federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to further develop its extensive Wayne Pedestrian Trail System. The $433,000 award will help expand the system from residential areas to a major retail corridor, which will create additional trail accessibility by nearly three-quarters of a mile near Highway 35 and 7th Street. The trail improvements are inclusive to mobility-constrained users in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). CDBG dollars are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered in Nebraska by DED.
Wayne Mayor Cale Giese said collaborative community attitudes have impacted overall efforts to grow the region’s business, tourism, and health care sectors, which includes a multi-year renovation and expansion at Providence Medical Center.
“Over the past five years, the City of Wayne has experienced tremendous success and has seen first-hand the benefits of strong partnerships within the community,” Mayor Geise explained. “From local investments in education, finance, health care, housing, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism to major business expansions in wind energy, manufacturing, and retail, nearly every sector of Wayne America has been impacted. With partners like Wayne County, Wayne State College, Wayne Community Schools, Providence Medical Center, Wayne Community Housing, Wayne America, Inc., and our entire business community, we look forward to another five years of collaboration and growth.”
Development within Wayne’s business community has grown significantly over the past several years. Three separate wind energy projects were completed within Wayne County. This is in addition to successful recruitment of an Ace Hardware & Home store and a Jimmy John’s restaurant to the community, private investments by State Nebraska Bank & Trust, Sanctuary Apartments, Family 1st Dental, Scooters Coffee, and regional manufacturers Timberlyne and Blazer, LLC.
Community members are also celebrating developments at area educational institutions. Wayne State College (WSC) is undertaking a major project to update their athletics complexes and is constructing its first new residence hall in 50 years. Students are utilizing the renovated and expanded Peterson Fine Arts Building, which supports WSC’s performing arts programs, and the renovated Benthack Hall, which supports the counseling, education, and family/consumer sciences programs. In 2023, local voters prioritized infrastructure improvements for its K-12 educational facilities by approving a $28 million bond initiative for Wayne Community Schools.
“For several years, Wayne has had the right mixture of ideation, collaboration, and follow-through that has created unparalleled momentum for a community our size,” said Wayne America, Inc., Board President Mike Powicki. “Supporters of our key institutions and business community have a shared vision of fostering economic development, developing chamber membership, improving housing, and attracting tourism. While we’re proud of the accomplishments of the past five years, we’re more excited about the next five years and the opportunities we’ll be able to leverage for Wayne America.”
The City of Wayne continues to build momentum for additional multi-year development efforts led by city leaders. In 2022, residents voted to continue the Local Option Municipal Economic Development program (LB840) in the City of Wayne, which authorizes cities and villages to collect local sales tax dollars for economic development projects. The City of Wayne has leveraged their local option sales tax revenue into the Wayne Aquatic Center, ADA upgrades at recreational facilities, library and senior center updates, police and fire vehicle replacements, and street improvement projects. Additionally, the sales tax revenue is being used to reinforce a strong Business Revolving Loan fund, which has invested over $5 million in local businesses, and the Wayne Public Art Committee, which supports public murals and other art installations throughout the community.
For additional information on the Economic Development Certified Community Program, contact Ashley Rice-Gerlach at 308-655-0919 or ashley.gerlach@nebraska.gov, or visit https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/community/edcc/.