KEARNEY — A groundbreaking ceremony was held for Forward Kearney, a collaboration between the Development Council for Buffalo County, Kearney Visitors Bureau and Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, on Monday, Oct. 30.
A new $5.3 million, 12,000 square foot facility will house all three community organizations by 2025. Over 75 percent of the funds have been raised for the project.
The building will be located at the southwest corner of Talmadge Street and 11th Avenue in southwest Kearney, directly east of the Kearney SportsPlex site.
“In addition to modern offices and private collaborative meeting space, the new building will house a large training room, a board room, and a premier welcome center that will truly be the front door to Kearney and the Platte River Valley,” Forward Kearney stated.
“For decades our three organizations have been honored to serve the Kearney area business community, developers, site selectors and visitors from across the state, nation and world,” per Forward Kearney.
The remarks prior to the groundbreaking had to be moved to the Younes Conference Center North due to the cold temperatures and stiff winds but that didn’t put a damper on the enthusiasm that was evident from those involved in the project.
Sherry Morrow, vice-chair of the Buffalo County Commissioners, said, “With the three entities that are a part of this today, this represents the historic culture of our community. These three organizations have shared building space in the past and they are going to in the future.”
Morrow said it was the partnership mentality that helps set the Kearney community apart from others.
Mike Morgan, City Manager of Kearney Visitor’s Bureau, said that the City of Kearney is excited to be a part of the project and will allow the three organizations to continue doing their good work far into the future.
Paul Younes, board chair of the Kearney Visitor’s Bureau, said “We are very excited to be a part of this team. Hopefully in the next 50 years we will still be together…this is history making today. On behalf of the Younes campus, we welcome the chamber, visitor’s bureau and the development council to be a part of our campus.”
Younes added that several new businesses will be coming to the campus that will help to transform the area.
Bill Calhoun, board chair of the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, said he was speaking with one of the pillars of the Kearney community about how the collaboration here works.
Calhoun said without missing a beat, they said that “We leave our guns at the door…when we have a shared vision, we leave our competitive differences aside and come together as a community to get things done.”
Forward Kearney is a shared vision between three different entities, Calhoun said. He added that the location, just off Interstate 80, will be the “gateway to the Kearney community.”
Calhoun said that the Forward Kearney project will solidify Kearney and Buffalo County as business hub of central Nebraska.
Kearney Mayor Stan Clouse, also the board chair for the Development Council of Buffalo County, spoke for the organization said this was a team effort to get Forward Kearney to where it is at, with many people working behind the scenes.
Clouse said this project will benefit not only Kearney, but all the communities of Buffalo County, adding that when these smaller communities are successful, it benefits the area as a whole.
Roger Jasnoch, Executive Director of the Kearney Visitors Bureau, said the three organizations have been benefiting from the decisions that were made by community leaders decades ago.
Jasnoch asked for the crowd to picture what the Younes campus along I-80 will look like in several years and quipped that it will need its own ZIP code soon.
Trevor Lee, Executive Director of the Development Council of Buffalo County said during his work across Nebraska and rural Colorado he has seen several trends.
Lee said those communities that are struggling, “always seem to be in a race to say no,” but on the other hand, the communities that work together and are thriving, “always get to yes.” He said that Forward Kearney is possible because of the many people who said yes.
Derek Rusher, President/CEO with the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, said the Forward Kearney project got its start in 2019 after the chamber board held a strategic planning meeting and one of their items was a new facility.
Rusher said, “Today marks an extraordinary moment in our community’s history.” He said this project is an example of the “Kearney Way,” which is built on collaboration, partnerships and commitment to progress.
“This new building will not only provide a state-of-the-art facility but be the beating heart of our community’s business sector,” said Rusher, “As we ceremoniously turn the first shovels of soil today, we embark on a journey that represents unity, a unified effort to create a nurturing environment for businesses to thrive, for dreams to flourish and for our community to prosper.”
After the remarks, the crowd moved over to the construction site where the groundbreaking ceremony was conducted.
