The former Grand Island Super Bowl fun center site is set to become a new event center and cafe as part of a major housing development effort.
John Nikodym of JNIK LLC plans to develop “47 lots for duplex and single family dwellings” along with “necessary infrastructure and grading improvements” at Cherry Street and Bismark Road, as described by the project.
The project, expected to cost about $ 17.9 million, will use $ 14.1 million in private funds and will pursue $ 3.9 million in tax increment financing support.
A redevelopment plan for the residential and commercial projects was approved by the Community Redevelopment Authority in January and approved Wednesday by the Regional Planning Commission.
“The current commercial portion is the old Super Bowl,” said Regional Planner Chad Nabity at Wednesday’s RPC meeting. “It is currently used as a private car museum. Mr. Nikodym, after meeting with the CRA, revisits his plans on that and looks at opening that as a reception as well as the museum and turning it into an income-generating property. ”
Nikodym told The Independent that he has changed his plans and that, as well as a car museum, the site will become an event center and café.
“The car collection will still be kept there but will be part of one of the rooms in the event center,” he said.
The event center will be called The Ark Christian Event Center, and will be split into two large rooms.
In one room, the car collection will be around its outer edge, with a large space in the middle for receptions and other events, Nikodym said.
Along with the event center will be a coffee shop, called “HeBrews Cafe.”
“That will be a drive-thru coffee shop,” said Nikodym. “It will also have seating for dining.”
Construction of the coffee shop will begin this spring.
Nikodym does not yet know when major renovations at the site will begin.
“I feel it adds a much needed setting to the community,” he said. “There’s nothing like Grand Island at the moment.”
The site will need significant upgrades, including fire sprinklers, “which would not have been required when it was originally built as a bowling alley,” said Nabity.
“To go back and do that, he needs to bring it up to code and speed,” he said.
A redevelopment site map shows 47 new lots planned for Nikodym Subdivision in east Grand Island at Bismark Road and Cherry Street, along with a planned major renovation of the site’s Super Bowl fun center facility.
He will return to the Community Redevelopment Authority on Feb. 9 for consideration to send to Grand Island City Council.
Rezoning for the residential portion of the subdivision was approved by RPC in January.
According to the redevelopment plan:
n The 47 lots of houses will range in size from 6,000 square feet to 33,500 square feet.
n Two streets will be built along with new infrastructure.
n A concrete block wall will be built along the northern boundary, adjacent to the nearby Cherry Park Apartments.
n Improvements will be made to the museum building at 1010 E. Bismark, including bathroom remodeling, new lighting and ceiling tiles, new flooring and electrical upgrades.
n The residential area is currently vacant and the commercial property is used for storage and as a private museum.
Nikodym has owned the property for three years.
The development of most of the property was restricted by Grand Island City Council until a development plan was submitted, which was stated in the document.
TIF is being sought for redevelopment costs, grading improvements, site preparation and planning and legal costs.
The project area was declared blight and substandard in December 2000.
It is expected that this project will be developed over the next 10 years.
In line with the document: “The developer is responsible for and has provided evidence that they can secure sufficient debt finance to cover costs associated with site work and development if TIF is available to assist with project funding.”
The project is eligible for $ 3.9 million in TIF assistance, which includes $ 2.04 million for grading, stormwater management, utility connections and extensions, and other site improvements; $ 1.36 million for the renovation and upgrade of the Super Bowl building and property; and $ 320,000 for land acquisition costs.
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