Drive around North Platte these days and you'll see something folks haven't seen in a long time: a lot of new houses and apartments going up at once.
According to the North Platte Post, 20 housing developments or housing-related projects are moving forward in the city. Gary Person, president and CEO of the North Platte Area Chamber and Development Corp., said the effort has been years in the making.
"We really put a lot of emphasis on this over the last decade," Person told the Post. "And we now have 20 new housing developments or housing type projects moving forward."
Person said the city hasn't seen housing built at this level since the 1970s, when bigger subdivisions were more common.
Who's building what
The projects run the gamut. Legacy Point is two three-story apartment buildings with 48 units each, and Person said it has drawn interest from young professionals.
Heritage Homes is building houses in the area. Victory Village recently finished its third phase in the West A area, bringing it to about 200 units. Construction has started on a second phase at Heartland Flats, and more work is underway through Blue Sky Development and Horizon Builders.
Person said Horizon Builders has been building multi-unit housing on the north side of town, an area that hasn't seen much housing construction in recent years.
The Chamber has its own project, too. At its Mulligan Meadows development, construction was expected to begin this month on a 12-unit project. Mulligan Meadows also includes a planned modular-home subdivision with Bonneville Homes that's expected to eventually have 49 single-family homes.
Person described those homes as three-bedroom, two-bathroom houses with two-car garages, with landscaping included. "So you buy the home and get the key and you're ready to roll," he said.
The list also includes housing for people who need more support. Person pointed to Thriving Connections, which pairs housing with efforts to help people work toward independence and stability.
Jobs and housing go together
North Platte's building boom comes as the 18-county Mid-Plains region looks at how housing affects its ability to attract and keep workers. The 6 Regions, One Nebraska Mid-Plains Workforce Housing Plan, available through Mid-Plains Community College, includes a regional needs assessment, an online dashboard and a toolkit for local leaders.
That assessment projects the region will need 949 more livable housing units by 2035, even assuming population grows just 0.25% a year. The number covers the whole region, not just North Platte, but it shows how closely housing and jobs are tied.
Person said the Chamber has backed workforce housing projects that use tax increment financing to help cover infrastructure costs, which can make some projects pencil out. He also acknowledged that costs are still a worry, with some residents finding rents or home prices hard to afford.
"We continue to work on bringing projects in that have good wages to them," Person said.
Why it matters for Contractors
Twenty projects at once is a lot of work for a city North Platte's size. Apartments, single-family homes, multi-unit buildings and supportive housing all need different kinds of crews, from foundation and framing to roofing, siding, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and finish work.
The Mulligan Meadows modular subdivision is worth a close look. Modular homes are built mostly in a factory, but they still need local crews for site prep, utilities, foundations, setting, garages, driveways and landscaping. With 49 homes planned, that's steady work for site and finish contractors.
Several builders are already named in this story, including Heritage Homes, Horizon Builders, Blue Sky Development and Bonneville Homes. For subs, those are the companies to call about upcoming work. The Post didn't say which outfits are running each job as general contractor, so we aren't naming any beyond what Person described. Local trades looking for steady work close to home should start with the Chamber, which is developing Mulligan Meadows itself.
The use of tax increment financing for infrastructure is another sign that streets, water and sewer work will keep coming as new subdivisions open up.
Person said the projects finished so far have generally been successful in attracting residents, though continued growth depends on bringing more people and jobs to town. If that happens, North Platte's busy stretch could last for years.