PCDC Helped Phelps in 2023, Further Achievements Coming in 2024

In 2023, PCDC leaders sparked housing creation, helped launch new businesses and spent many hours on behind-the-scenes efforts to recruit major new industries. Goals for 2024 include more housing, more retailers and restaurants, and finalizing the recruitment of at least one new industrial business.

“Holdrege and Phelps County are in a strong competitive position,” PCDC Executive Director Ron Tillery said. 

For the community to grow, it needs more housing. In 2023, PCDC led efforts to obtain a $600,000 workforce development grant that will assist in infrastructure development for a new 30-home subdivision called Northern Meadows. PCDC contributed a $200,000 matching grant to the new subdivision. The grant is also helping fund three new homes in Bertrand. In addition, PCDC sparked the creation of six new homes in the CREW Subdivision and worked with investor Shaun King to improve and add mobile homes to Eastside and Westside mobile home courts.

“Together, all of the PCDC housing programs will create more than 50 new living units over the next three years,” Tillery said.

PCDC recruited 36 new residents to the county with home down payment assistance grants matched by area employers. Those grants will continue into 2024.

PCDC grant and loan programs helped launch several new businesses, including Southpaw Dog Academy & Boarding and Sims’ Shop E-Z in Loomis. It also helped assist legacy retailer, Abramson Appliance, transition to new ownership.

“Homegrown businesses are the backbone of our economy,” Tillery said.

In addition, PCDC continues to work behind the scenes in recruiting new businesses to the Iron Horse Business and Industry Park. In the past year, PCDC opened 22 new recruitment or expansion project files for various businesses looking to build or expand in Phelps County. Currently, 13 of those projects remain active.

PCDC also continues to support local employers through workforce development programs such as the high-demand jobs scholarships, and nursing assistant and auto technician training programs.

Looking ahead to 2024, PCDC has several goals related to housing:

1. Completing 10 single-family homes in Northern Meadows Subdivision
2. Completing two duplex homes in Crew Subdivision
3. Completing three in-fill homes costing $200,000 each
4. Renovating or creating 10 rental units

Other goals include helping one more existing local industrial business to expand, securing funding for infrastructure construction at Iron Horse Business & Industry Park and recruiting one more industrial business.

In addition, PCDC will continue to support more retail businesses and community improvements that add vibrancy and diversity.

For a complete report of PCDC’s 2023 accomplishments and a look ahead at 2024 goals, see PCDC’s 2023 Growing Opportunities Year-End Report at https://www.phelpscountyne.com/about-us/accomplishments-and-reports