Grow Grand Island asks City Council to renew $500,000 annual contract, highlights events and workforce wins

Grow Grand Island representatives asked the Grand Island City Council on July 29 to renew the nonprofit’s contract with the city at an annual allocation of $500,000, continuing the arrangement the group has held for the past nine years.

The request was presented by Anya Brown, chair of Grow Grand Island, who outlined the group’s role in attracting events, supporting community development projects and leveraging private and grant dollars. Brown told the council Grow Grand Island seeks continuation of a “2 plus 2” contract (two years, review and renewal for two years) at the current funding level to maintain momentum.

The presentation emphasized the group’s leverage of public funds. “Of those completed and in progress projects, excluding Conestoga Marketplace and Epic Discovery Center, they total $6,500,000. GGI funded $2,300,000 of that, which means that we were leveraging other funding sources to the tune of $4,200,000,” Brown said.

Why it matters: the city’s food-and-beverage tax ordinance specifies that those revenues may be used, in order, for the Nebraska State Fair, to promote events that attract visitors, for recreational facilities and for community development projects. Grow Grand Island’s work falls…