Bus tour offers locals glimpse at $300 million worth of development

Approximately 40 Sidney residents boarded a bus Tuesday at Western Nebraska Community College to take a community tour led by city manager Gary Person.

The bus visited multiple sites across the city, such as the spots for the new Love's travel stop, the proposed new swimming pool and aquatics center and the new hospital.

"It's all about helping educate the community," Person said. "So they can have the facts and understand where the projects are."

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sidney has sparked a growth in value by 339 percent since 1990. Cheyenne County has grown in value by 253 percent, while jobs have seen a 146 percent growth. Lodging revenues have seen a 1,000 percent growth. Sidney is projected to have a population exceeding 7,000 by 2015.

"Sidney: A small town that's obviously on the move towards bigger things" was the motto of the tour. The bus passed by locally lucrative sites such as the future Sidney Regional Medical Center, Bell Lumber and Pole Manufacturing, Adams Industries rail expansion, Cabela's redevelopment project and various 2014-15 street projects. All current and future projects totaled an estimated $300 million.

Included that $300 million worth of developments are various improvements to Sidney's recreational grounds. Those are such things as a golf course irrigation project that was completed this summer, a future trails project, future swimming pool/aquatics park and $1 million in park improvements.

"The community has really regrouped," Person said. "We've done a lot of things creatively trying to figure out how to make this thing called economic development work and move the community forward and to rebuild. We're seeing the fruits of that labor of all thats occurred over the last three decades now come into fruition."

The city of Sidney has grown exponentially since 1990 and will continue to grow, a fact that city officials are well aware of, Person said.

"We have an economy that is very diversified compared to what it used to be," he said. "So we don't have all our eggs in one basket. That is what's made Sidney a very successful, rural community to the point it is today. Unlike other rural communities, agriculture only represents the seventh-leading economic influence in our economy."

The fact that agriculture is 7th shows incredible growth in our community, Person said.

"There's a difference between a community that has vision, and one that doesn't," he said. "Every rural community in America struggles with that and that's why its very important to have a strong chamber of commerce with a strong voice."

Person said electing strong officials with the best in mind for the city is detrimental to the city's development and its residents. The well-being of the city lies on the people as well as the government, he said.

"You must be involved," Person said. "As a community, you must be risk-takers but, be a smart risk-taker. That's what separates us from other communities. We can tell this story and what we've become. We've worked hard for it."