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North Platte’s recent plethora of local economic initiatives — barely slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic — has brought its community leaders statewide recognition.
Gov. Pete Ricketts Tuesday named North Platte the winner of the 2021 Governor’s Showcase Community Award for outstanding economic development achievements.
His announcement, made as Ricketts declared April 5-9 Nebraska Community Development Week, also cited North Platte’s “impactful use of state and federal funds” in moving the city forward over the past five years.
A press release cited such high-profile projects as the Shot in the Arm housing program, downtown’s renovation and transformation into the Canteen District, the proposed Lincoln County rail park near Hershey, the planned redevelopment of Platte River Mall and the newly proposed Sustainable Beef LLC beef processing plant.
North Platte’s award application also noted the public-private effort to keep small businesses going during the pandemic, Parkade Plaza’s passage into local ownership and the fiscal untangling and start of restoration of the 1929 Hotel Pawnee.
Those projects and many others “are sparking new energy, opportunity and pride throughout the community while creating a flurry of excitement for things to come,” according to the governor’s press release.
North Platte “has successfully created opportunities for businesses to grow and for residents to enhance their quality of life,” Ricketts said.
Anthony Goins, director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, called North Platte “a shining example of what can be achieved at the local level when you approach economic development with a spirit of proactivity, an all-hands-on-deck mentality and the ability to leverage available resources.
“Congratulations are due to the entire community for what they have been able to achieve and for what’s on the horizon.”
In comments for the governor’s press release, Mayor Brandon Kelliher said the Showcase Community award “is beyond anything we hoped for when we set out to revitalize North Platte through our five-year economic development plan.”
It validates “the hard work of countless individuals, groups and citizens that banded together to make our accomplishments possible,” he said. “There’s incredible enthusiasm for the future, and this recognition puts even more wind in our sails.”
Gary Person, president and CEO of the North Platte Area Chamber & Development Corp., said in the press release that “it’s amazing how much progress we’ve made as a community in the past five years alone, and even more amazing to think of what’s ahead.”
“If we don’t believe in our community, if we’re not the ones out there making it emerge into something different and more exciting, and building toward the future, nobody else from the outside is going to look at us and believe otherwise,” said Person, who came to North Platte in October 2015 after many years as Sidney’s economic development director and city manager.
“Once people see the progress being made, they find confidence in themselves (and) confidence in their community and can believe anything’s possible.” Continue reading here > https://nptelegraph.com/news/local/north-platte-wins-governors-showcase-community-award-for-outstanding-economic-development/article_ad24c4ee-9728-11eb-819e-fb7cf218e501.html
