Last night, the arena vote passed with the unofficial final numbers coming in at 56.38% FOR and 43.62% AGAINST.  This was a vote of confidence by the City of Lincoln and proves that our community is ready for the next step and willing to capture the momentum of the present for our future.

Downtown Lincoln is in an excellent position to use this collective momentum as we will start seeing cranes appear in downtown Lincoln for several large projects.  The Journal Star recently reported to the community that an array of projects including Urban 38, Assurity, Innovation campus, Farmers Mutual and now officially the West Haymarket Development are proposed, totaling a $1.8 billion transformation. 

This figure gives plenty of reasons to be excited.  Some of the projects have already broken ground, but many of the other proposed projects are a factor of the built up momentum in Lincoln.  The arena development has now passed, putting Downtown Lincoln in a good position for several proposed projects.  The West Haymarket development can now leverage this momentum into a vibrant reality. 

In January, the Downtown Lincoln Association unanimously passed a board resolution giving support to the proposed West Haymarket Development project.  This resolution officially conveyed our excitement toward the $344 million West Haymarket Development and the impact it will have on our community.  Downtown is a great place to be and has an abundance of attractions; however, we feel the city is ready for the next chapter of Lincoln’s bright future.

It is important to reiterate that the passing of yesterday’s bond issue means much more than just an arena.  The West Haymarket Development also includes the building of an ice rink, festival space, hotel, retail and commercial development. DLA is now looking forward to supporting the progressions of a development that will have such a positive and lasting economic impact on our community; one that will bring energy and excitement for generations to come.