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Antelope Valley park fundraising going well

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By DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star

Monday, Dec 01, 2008 - 12:47:26 am CST

Fund raising for a new Antelope Valley park is nearing its goal.

The Lincoln Parks Foundation is raising $4.6 million of the nearly $8 million needed for the construction and perpetual care of Union Plaza — a six-acre park planned for the area bound by 21st, 22nd, O and R streets.

The city plans to use $3.3 million in keno revenue to help pay for the remaining costs.

Story Photo
A new park planned as part of the Antelope Valley Project will be named Union Plaza to recognize a $1.5 million gift from Union Bank and Trust Company. The park will be built along the new waterway in six-acre area between 21st, 22nd, O and R streets. (Courtesy photo)
Program allows patrons to buy a tile in support

The parks foundation has unveiled a new program allowing anyone to purchase an inscribed tile which will go on a terraced wall in Union Plaza when it's built.

The Union Plaza Timeless Tiles program allows people to purchase a handcrafted tile in honor or memory of a loved one, friend or a special event, such as an anniversary, birthday or wedding.

Each tile costs $250.

Lincoln artist Su Harvey of Prairie Mile Tileworks will design and create the tiles. Measuring 6 inches square, each tile is hand-molded, lettered and stained.

All donors will receive a commemorative certificate suitable for framing. All orders received by Dec. 15 will be processed before the holidays.

Proceeds from the Union Plaza Timeless Tile program will support the Union Plaza campaign and the city's entire park system.

Order forms are available online at www.lincolnparks.org. For more information about Union Plaza, call (402) 441-8258.



You can help

To donate to the Union Plaza campaign, go to www.LincolnUnionPlaza.org or call Susan Rodenburg at 421-1401.

The parks foundation has already raised 95 percent of its share — from about 300 donors whose contributions ranged from $1 to more than a million dollars.

“We’re extremely thrilled,” the foundation’s fundraising campaign organizer, Susan Rodenburg, said. “We just feel like the response of the community shows that people love parks in Lincoln.”

Union Bank and Trust donated $1.5 million toward the park — the largest financial gift in the parks department’s history.

The park — sometimes referred to as Lincoln’s Central Park — will be built along Antelope Creek.

It will have four fountains, a festival plaza, a new trail connection, outdoor amphitheater, pond plaza, a scenic overlook and children’s plaza. The foundation’s contribution will pay for things that go “beyond green and graded,” Rodenburg said, as well as a $1.5 million endowment “to make sure that the park stays beautiful forever.”

While fundraising is running ahead of schedule, the park construction timeline has been pushed back about a year.

Although some of the U.S. Corps of Engineers’ grading going on in the area now is park-related, park construction will begin in earnest in January 2010, according to J.J. Yost, planning and construction manager for the parks department.

Organizers had hoped the corps and park construction could overlap a little. The park is now scheduled for a spring 2011 opening.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.


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russell wrote on December 1, 2008 8:33 am:
" This is article is very good news. Lincolnites are investing in a project that will yield long term dividends for many years. It is especially exciting that the article states the raised funds include perpetual care which I interpret to mean no additional expense to the over stressed Park Department budget. "

 Great investment wrote on December 1, 2008 8:47 am:
" Wonderful news! This is the kind of project that will spur private development downtown and in the surrounding neighborhoods, and will be a true showpiece of the city. Lincoln has great festivals, even though most are held on hot concrete streets with no shade - now they will be even better! Best of all, this is a feature that is available to all the people in this city equally. Great job, Parks & Rec. Foundation, and good for you for raising an endowment for long-term maintenance. To all potential naysayers (and I know you're out there typing away right now) please notice that this was funded with private money and keno funds - not taxes. "

 Thanks wrote on December 1, 2008 9:22 am:
" This looks like a real nice project. Thanks to all the donors! "

 hypocrits wrote on December 1, 2008 1:01 pm:
" $3.3 million from Keno revenue to fund a public park? Isn't Keno gambling after all? I thought gambling was illegal in Nebraska, no wait that's just casino gambling........my bad. Where's "Pat" and her followers and why aren't they speaking out against this? How can we use these tainted, evil dollars to fund a park for all to enjoy. Where's all the talk about the crime rate, that will surely rise, the broken families, neglected children and retirement savings going down the drain? If you mentioned building a casino and using a portion of the revenue to fund this very same park you'd barely be able to take a breath before hearing hoards of people decrying the evils of gambling. But as long as projects such as this are funded by Keno, pickle cards, bingo the lottery......it's OK. Is anybody else out there getting tired of the widespread hypocrisy in this state? "

 Taxpoor Lincolnite wrote on December 1, 2008 2:59 pm:
" Who will be enjoying this park? Will there be adequate parking? I work closeby and it seems the only patrons in this area are in need of housing, not green space. Another area for the biker-cops to patrol. Get real people - will the wealthy use this space? I guess I'll sit back and watch the Lexus' and BMWs park so their owners can walk to this great destination. "

 Ralph wrote on December 1, 2008 10:06 pm:
" Who will use this park? Currently Lincoln is need of baseball fields. There are currently over 65 baseball team have to share a limited number of fields. The antelope valley project took away one full field at Lewis park. Wake up Union Bank your paying for fountains. Who will benefit? The transients who use the Lewis Field bathrooms during the summer to drink and smoke. Instead of fountains lets build 4 fields. That can be used by our youth and not by the transients that don't pay taxes. Lets prioritize. "

 Say Ralph..... wrote on December 2, 2008 5:56 am:
" Transients don't pay taxes???? You better check that out again. Each and every time they walk into a store, get on a bus or purchase ANYTHING there is some sort of a tax. True enough that these folks don't need to be hanging around a bathroom...but if YOU put YOURSELF in their shoes just what would YOU be doing????

In any case. More baseball fields would be a good idea. "

 Bitterness Be Gone wrote on December 2, 2008 7:10 am:
" I live in East Lincoln and am looking forward to using this park. Downtown lacks green space. For those of you questioning the park - have you actually looked at the plans or attended a presenation? Yes there will be parking in conjunction with the 50 million dollar Assurity Campus (which selected this location in part due to the park). Again, looking at the drawings and plan one would notice the amount of trails in the park for both recreation and for transportation purposes to downtown and UNL. Furthermore, there are plans just north and east near Oak Lake for a ballfield complex. If people would take the time to get involved, participate they would understand these things rather than spew off negative uneducated opinions. Please note, that not everyone that is wealthy drives a BMW or Lexus. In fact many ride Cannondales or Specialized and contribute to the community financially as well as with their time. Regardless this park isn't for the wealthy as suggested by earlier responses - it is for the entire community. "

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