Mitch Hohlen, Director of Development and Partner with Woodsonia Real Estate (left) and Drew Snyder, President of Woodsonia Real Estate, give a presentation at the Nov. 12 Grand Island City Council meeting about the company's proposed plan for Veteran's Village in north Grand Island, a project through the Good Life District program. (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Woodsonia Real Estate’s plan for a $15 million Aquatics Center as part of the Veteran’s Village development funded through the Good Life District program includes much less than what Grand Island City Council members want to see as components of the Aquatics Center.
City Council President Jack Sheard said at the Nov. 12 City Council meeting that North Platte is constructing an aquatics center for approximately $35 million. City Council Member Chuck Haase suggested budgeting $30 million for the Aquatics Center.
Sheard said that Woodsonia Real Estate’s proposal for the Aquatics Center is “not even close to what we are asking for.”
At the conclusion of the 3.5 hour City Council meeting, Mayor Roger Steele gave a challenge to Woodsonia Real Estate to come back to the Dec. 9 City Council meeting with a revised plan that reflects the City Council’s expressed components of the project, including funding sources.
“These negotiations have gone on for months,” Steele said. Woodsonia submitted its revised Good Life District application on Aug. 15, after the Nebraska Legislature adopted an amendment to the Good Life District program on June 4. Woodsonia’s original Good Life District application was submitted on Nov. 4, 2024. The revised 550-page application was not made public until the Nov. 12 meeting because of negotiations between the city and Woodsonia Real Estate.
Steele asked Woodsonia Real Estate to come back to the Dec. 9 meeting with the “best and final proposal.”
“The Council needs to hear from you where you can give and where you can’t,” Steele said.
The proposed development is located north of the Burlington Railroad tracks, south of Airport Road/U.S. Highway 281, and between Broadwell Avenue and Webb Road. It does not include the former Nebraska Veterans Home site.
Drew Snyder, president of Woodsonia Real Estate, asked toward the end of the City Council meeting if the City Council could provide the name of a single contact person regarding the Aquatics Cneter.
Sheard questioned whether Woodsonia Real Estate needed as much Good Life District funding for housing development as what it proposed. He said that housing developments are being constructed in Grand Island without Good Life District funding. Woodsonia’s plan includes $26 million in Good Life District funding for housing.
Drew Snyder, president of Woodsonia Real Estate, said that housing development was a necessary component of the project so that there would be people living at the site and using its facilities, such as restaurants.
City Council Member Chuck Haase said that he agreed with the plan to have a one-time land transfer with “land claw backs” concerning what would happen if Woodsonia does not complete development at the site as planned. The claw backs include forfeiting all remaining Good Life District funds allocated for Phases 2 and 3, and conveying land back to the city for planned developments scheduled for Phase 1 of the project.
Haase said that an Aquatics Center that would cost $15 million “is not going to cut it.” He said that an eight- to 10-lane pool is needed.
City Council Member Ryan O’Neill said that he was familiar with the YMCA’s indoor pool. The YMCA has been at its current location since 1979 (according to the YMCA website), making the swimming pool 46 years old. O’Neill said that the YMCA’s pool has six lanes and is “on its last leg.”
O’Neill said that voters would expect that the Aquatics Center be “built right.” O’Neill said that an Aquatics Center should have features including a pool for lap swimming and swimming competition, as well as a pool for therapeutic use, and a recreational swimming area.
Ryan O’Neill said, “If we’re going to do a project this big, we want to do it right.” He said that an Aquatics Center should address many different needs.
City Council Member Mitch Nickerson said that the Aquatics Center should include a pool for competitive use, including school swimming meets. He believes that an Aquatics Center would be used a lot. He noted that Woodsonia Real Estate’s plan included a fitness center, but he was concerned that facility could put existing private facilities out of business.
Pat O’Neill of Grand Island said that he was a YMCA Board member for six years. He said that the average lifespan of an indoor pool is 40 years, and the Grand Island YMCA pool has exceeded that time length.
Pat O’Neill said that the YMCA pool is on its “last leg.” He said that it would not be feasible to replace the existing pool within the YMCA pool.
Pat O’Neill said that Grand Island Senior High School’s swim teams and the YMCA’s swim teams have to cap the number of participants because of the number of lanes in the YMCA pool.
Nickerson said that a larger Aquatics Center is needed.
Nickerson said that he is a realtor and had questions about Woodsonia Real Estate’s proposed development of mixed-use housing and single-family homes as part of the Good Life District project. He said that Grand Island needs 300 new housing units per year. Nickerson said that the housing market can become saturated if too many housing units are completed. Nickerson said that Woodsonia Real Estate may have good intentions for its single-family homes but was concerned that they wouldn’t sell.
Nickerson noted that the proposed sports complex does not include any pickleball courts.
“You make me said,” Nickerson said.
City Council Member Doug Brown said that the Aquatics Center needs to include what Grand Island citizens want.
Sheard said that the Aquatics Center needed to be larger than what was proposed.
Snyder responded, “It still comes down to an allocation of funding.”
Sheard said, “Are you hearing the message on housing?” He continued, “This is too much housing right away.”
Sheard asked, “Do you see a point where we’re going to see eye to eye?”
Snyder responded that Woodsonia Real Estate would need some Good Life District funding for housing development, and that the business wanted to be successful.
City Council Member Mark Stelk said that he supported the City Council’s view of what an Aquatics Center should include. He suggested talking to local school districts to see if they could provide financial support for an Aquatics Center. Concerning housing, Stelk said, “I think we need to start slow and do it right.” Stelk said that he supported the sports complex because it would bring people to Grand Island, and they would spend money in the city.
City Council Member Mike Paulick said that Woodsonia Real Estate’s plan for an Aquatics Center needed to meet the specifications that the City Council was describing. He said he could not support the project if the Aquatics Center features were not revised.
Former Mayor Jay Vavricek said that voters had the understanding that an Aquatics Center would be part of the Good Life District development. He said that the community needed to develop an Aquatics Center with the Good Life District funding, because the city probably wouldn’t have another opportunity to develop an Aquatics Center. He noted that the current YMCA pool is almost 50 years old.
“The community deserves an action plan,” Vavrick said.
Derek Hansen, past president of the Heartland Futbol Club, addressed the City Council regarding the number of soccer fields that would be included in the project and the cost for using them. He said that the club has more than 40 recreational teams.
“We don’t have enough room as it is,” he said. He expressed concern about the proposed cost of $75 per hour to rent a soccer field.
“I don’t want to see this opportunity slip away,” Hansen said. He made references to information about soccer facilities that was included in the 550-page Good Life District application.
Regional Planning Director Chad Nabity said that a short memorandum of understanding is initially needed as a road map for the project.
Representatives from Pinnacle Indoor Sports, Brandstetter Carrol (architects/engineers), and HealthFitness who served as consultants for Woodsonia Real Estate attended the City Council meeting.
North Platte voters approved a plan in November 2022 for a $52.5 million project to improve recreation facilities, which includes the Recreation Center and Cody Pool renovations. The project is funded by a temporary half-cent sales tax. Funding for the indoor facility includes a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense.
According to the City of North Platte’s website, the city’s Recreation Center indoor pool includes a lap pool, a baby leisure pool, a water slide and 2 diving boards. KNOP from North Platte reported that the Aquatics Center included a lazy river. According to a Nov. 10 KNOP article, most of the construction for the pool has been poured. The Recreation Center is projected to open in 2027.
