Bellevue pitches Bellevue Bay indoor water park as an economic engine, financed by Good Life District tax

Harrison Johnson, Bellevue's economic development director, told the City Council on Aug. 19 that site work for the proposed Bellevue Bay indoor water park is under way and that the city plans to use a Good Life District occupation tax and bond proceeds to finance the first phase of the entertainment district.

Johnson said the city recently received a permit approval from the Nebraska Department of Transportation to remove a surcharge that allows compaction work for footings and foundations. He said pipeline relocation by Northern Natural Gas is also underway to align utility infrastructure with Tenth Street as part of the site work.

"We recently got approval with the NDOT," Johnson said, pointing to progress on the basic site compaction and foundation work. He told council members the first 30-acre phase will include the water park, two hotels already under contract and two retail bays.

Why it matters: Johnson said the district is intended to broaden Bellevue's tax base and provide property tax relief over time by capturing visitor spending and…