North Platte council creates paving districts, secures state grant to accelerate Francis Street redevelopment

The North Platte City Council on April 15 created three paving districts for sections of Francis Street and accepted state grant funding that will pay the majority of one segment, a move council members and staff said will speed a long-planned redevelopment of the corridor.

City engineers and staff described the work as an "L-shaped" set of street segments intended to tie a new collector from Tabor Avenue east through Bridal Avenue and all the way to Newberry Access. The council on first reading adopted ordinances creating paving Districts 839, 840 and 841, which together cover roughly 8,500 feet of new or upgraded street and associated sidewalks and storm infrastructure.

The council heard from Brent Brooklyn, city engineer, and development partners who said a grant will cover most of the cost for the Bicentennial-to-Newberry segment. "The grant funds will pay for 75% of this segment," Brooklyn said, and staff said the grant made it possible to accelerate construction that otherwise would have been years away.

The council and staff said the redevelopment agreement with the private developer will be amended to reflect that the developer will cover the remaining 25% of the segment covered by the grant. Councilmember Lucas said the combined public and private approach would likely accelerate building and sales in the area. "I think this is a great game changer. It'll probably speed things up 2 to 3 years out there in my opinion," Lucas said.

Brooklyn said the rebuild will include a 42-foot-wide street cross section on most of the corridor, and 10-foot sidewalks on the north side of the Francis segments that are part of the redevelopment conditions. "We're doing 10 foot on the north ... that's part of the redevelopment requirement," he said. The council heard that sidewalk and multiuse-path elements are intended to improve walkability and bike access as the corridor develops.

Speakers also discussed storm drainage and utilities: some segments already have water and sewer in place, others will require utility extensions as development proceeds. Brooklyn said the east-west corridor contains an existing storm sewer that will be used where possible and that additional parallel drainage or ditching may be required in low spots.

Gary, representing the local development corporation, outlined the business-park and redevelopment rationale and urged the council that having large contiguous buildable parcels and an assembled, city-owned business park had been key to successful industrial recruitment. "By having a business park to start with, it not only enhances our ability to draw a business industry here, but also checks the box that we get a lot of potential leads," Gary said.

Council members and staff repeatedly cautioned that the project depends on coordinated funding and the developer meeting its obligations under a redevelopment agreement. Staff said the grant's timing and the current market prices make building now less expensive than staging construction over many years.

The council passed the three ordinances on first reading and directed staff to amend the redevelopment agreement to reflect the grant and developer contribution terms.

The council and staff identified next steps that include finalizing the amended redevelopment agreement, coordinating with the state on the grant terms, completing construction plans, and scheduling work to align with related state work at Newberry.

The full Francis corridor work was described in council materials as a phased but connected effort to deliver a collector-level roadway and supporting utilities to open new industrial and commercial development sites.