M
itch Hohlen (Woodsonia Real Estate’s development director) and Drew Snyder (president) presented the updated Good Life District Plan for the Veteran’s Village project at the Grand Island City Council meeting on Nov. 12. The 60‑page executive summary outlined a $600 million development on 225 acres between Broadwell Ave. and Webb Rd., south of Airport Rd./US 281, as noted by Regional Planning Director Chad Nabity.

    Key features of the plan include:

    - A publicly owned Veteran’s Sports Complex with a 100,000‑sq‑ft indoor arena (16 volleyball courts, 8 basketball courts, multipurpose spaces, concessions, meeting rooms) and extensive outdoor fields (4 baseball, 4 softball, 6 soccer, 12 youth soccer, 2 football, 4 lacrosse, training facilities). Existing grass fields will be relocated to accommodate 3 soccer and 7 youth soccer fields.

    - An Aquatics Center with a 3‑lane lap pool, recreational pool, splash pad, and water slide. Consultants Brandstetter Carroll Inc. and HealthFitness estimate the cost at $15 million. The center will share locker rooms with a fitness facility, operate 105 hrs/week with 20.75 FTE staff, and project five‑year revenue of $15.95 million against expenses of $14.45 million, yielding a net of $1.50 million.

    - Expansion of Eagle Scout Lake: dredging, 20‑acre enlargement, 2 mi of trails, fishing piers, pedestrian bridges.

    - An amphitheater and 72 acres of mixed‑use commercial space for hotels, restaurants, retail, and civic uses.

    - Housing: roughly 1,500 multifamily units and 291 single‑family homes.

    The project is staged in three phases:

    1. **Phase 1 (2026‑2030)** – Mass site work, lake expansion, amphitheater, aquatic center, sports complex, one Home2Suites hotel, event venue, District Eats restaurant, 250 multifamily units, 20 single‑family homes. Cost: $142 million ($95 million from Good Life bonds).

    2. **Phase 2 (2030‑2035)** – $20 million in mixed‑use housing, 20 single‑family homes, 250 multifamily units. Cost: $76 million ($26 million Good Life, $11 million TIF).

    3. **Phase 3 (2035‑2055)** – $40 million construction of mixed‑use housing, 180 single‑family homes, 1,000 multifamily units. Cost: $380 million ($330 million private debt/equity, $41 million TIF, $9 million Good Life).

    Woodsonia’s first Good Life District application was approved June 5 2024; the program itself received voter approval on Aug. 13 2024. The original application was submitted Nov. 4 2024, and Nebraska adopted a revised amendment on June 4 2025. Woodsonia filed the revised application on Aug. 15; the city withheld the full document pending negotiations. A final plan will be presented Dec. 9, with Mayor Roger Steele directing that the Dec. 9 version be the definitive one.

    Pinnacle Indoor Sports performed a feasibility study for the sports complex. The 100,000‑sq‑ft facility can host 1,600‑1,700 people, is “tournament friendly,” and targets teams within a 1‑4 hour drive. The study identified 12 comparable sites (none in Nebraska) and highlighted five key benefits: tournament destination potential, unmet local demand, year‑round programming, strong community partnerships, and available land. Assumptions for long‑term viability include sufficient capital, minimized taxes, adequate hotel capacity, and a skilled operations team. Revenue projections for the first four years are $123,556; $1,100,280; $1,249,530; $1,500,180, with expenses of $213,752; $1,004,749; $1,039,558; $1,089,147, resulting in operating losses of $265,643 in year 1 but profits of $95,531, $209,972, and $411,033 in subsequent years.

    Open items to resolve:

    - Good Life funding for Phase 1 and Phase 2 housing is critical.

    - Land conveyance of the sale area will occur March 1 2026 for $1; the city retains ownership of Eagle Scout Lake, existing and expanded sports complex, and aquatic center.

    - Claw‑back provisions: if Phase 1 is not completed within 60 months, undeveloped land reverts to the city for $1; failure to deliver $13.5 million in commercial/mixed‑use development plus 250 multifamily and 20 single‑family units by 2035 forfeits remaining Good Life funds, reverts land, and terminates unactivated TIF areas. Woodsonia relies on future TIF funding for success.

    Next steps: finalize a Good Life District development contract (including funding, performance metrics, land conveyance, claw‑back terms) within 45 days, followed by a TIF development contract in the same timeframe.