Mayor Highlights Streets, Housing, and Workforce in State of the City

Published on October 08, 2024

State of the City is strong, Mayor says

In her 2024 State of the City Address, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird focused on significant street infrastructure, affordable housing, and workforce development successes, while also announcing major advancements on initiatives aimed at growing Lincoln's vibrant economy and quality of life.

“The state of our city is indeed strong. While we are proud of our strength, we continue to build on our successes every day as we cultivate Lincoln to become the quality-of-life capital of the country,” Mayor Gaylor Baird said.

Mayor Gaylor Baird reported $47 million in street infrastructure investments over the past year, resulting in the construction and resurfacing of nearly 18 lane miles of arterial streets and eight miles of residential streets. She also highlighted the success of the voter-approved Lincoln on the Move sales tax, set to expire next year, which has increased the City’s capacity to deliver street improvements.

“Since the Lincoln on the Move sales tax took effect, we have completed 50 additional street construction and improvement projects, and invested nearly $78 million additional dollars into our streets, making it easier, safer, and smoother for people to drive to work, for children to get to school, and for customers to support our local businesses,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird.

On housing, the mayor celebrated progress toward her goal of creating 5,000 new or rehabilitated affordable units by 2030. She announced that her administration has incentivized the creation of 2,641 units of new or rehabilitated affordable housing, putting the City ahead of schedule and over halfway toward achieving its goal. The mayor also announced the launch of a second round of the City’s Residential Rental Rehabilitation Program, which will improve 108 units over the next year.

“At City Hall, we understand that increasing the supply of housing at every price point helps make housing overall more affordable, which is why, during the past three calendar years, our City team has worked diligently to issue more residential building permits than any other three-year period on record,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird.

The mayor also announced the City’s plans to break ground this month on Lincoln’s first City-owned Permanent Supportive Housing development, which will provide long-term housing and supportive services to residents experiencing chronic homelessness. The initiative is a key step toward functionally ending homelessness in Lincoln.

As a result of her administration’s priority on workforce development, Mayor Gaylor Baird noted that nearly 1,500 residents have benefited from the City’s job training initiatives designed to equip workers with skills in high-demand fields, such as manufacturing, IT, and the health sciences. She also highlighted City investments to support early childhood workforce programs that are helping to credential new educators and expand access to quality childcare for working families.

“The most solid foundation of a vibrant economy is a good job, which is why my administration has made investments in workforce development that help our residents attain meaningful, financially secure careers and help local employers access the talent they need to compete,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird.

She also highlighted how $21.9 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) has driven over $183 million in private investment, supporting projects like the new Instinct Pet Foods facility and The Shops at Lincoln in the old Sears building, both of which are creating new jobs in Lincoln.

Additional Announcements

The mayor’s address also included other key updates:

Public Safety: Part 1 crime, which includes violent crime, in Lincoln is at a 25-year low, with case clearance rates at their highest since 2010. The Lincoln Police Department’s recruiting efforts – which includes the current academy class of 18 cadets, the largest class in the past eight years – resulted in reaching 94% of its authorized staffing strength.
Health Initiatives: The City continues to reduce lead exposure risks through the Lead Safe Lincoln initiative, including work to replace all private lead water lines by 2035. Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD)provided over 700 home visits to families with newborns during the first year of the Family Connects program. To address health disparities, LLCHD partnered with the Cultural Centers of Lincoln to empower more than 5,600 community members from racial and ethnic minority groups to access vital behavioral health care and take proactive steps in managing and preventing chronic diseases
Climate Action: The City is helping residents adopt energy-efficient technologies that reduce utility costs, improve air quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by offering homeowners a second round of heat pump incentives.
Water Infrastructure: Progress continues on the City’s Water 2.0 effort to secure a second water source. Construction on the 60-inch transmission main that will connect water from the Missouri River to Lincoln will begin next spring. Environmental testing has been completed on potential wellfield sites near the river, and environmental testing is also underway on potential treatment plant locations, with preparations underway for a new water treatment facility.
Parks and Recreation: The City opened two new parks in north Lincoln – Prairie Village and Tranquility – serving over 1,600 households. Mayor Gaylor Baird also celebrated the recent acquisition of land for the future Cornhusker Bank Park, a 154-acre park in northwest Lincoln.
Dynamic Downtown: Mayor Gaylor Baird announced progress on the Downtown Corridors project, with federal funding secured for key streetscape improvements to Ninth, 10th, and "O" Streets that will begin construction in Spring 2025. She also highlighted development of the Music Box, a new venue within Lincoln's Music District, where artists, musicians, and the public will be able to convene, create, and collaborate following completion of construction this year.

“When our city works for everyone, everyone can work to make our city prosper. That’s why my administration forges partnerships across the community to create an even more vibrant economy and quality of life,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird.

The State of the City Address will be re-aired at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 8 on LNKTV, the City government access channel available on Allo channel 2 and Spectrum channel 1300. The address is also available on demand at YouTube.com/LNKTVcity and through the LNKTV apps on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.

For more information on Leadership Lincoln, visit leadershiplincoln.org.