New Duplexes to Provide Housing for Professionals

When BD Plant Manager Chuck Mix moved to Holdrege in 2014, he said finding a home was challenging.

“There was not near enough opportunities to look at many homes,” Mix said.

Plus, he was looking for two homes since his in-laws were moving to Holdrege as well. And, he was seeking a newer home to lessen his wife’s mold allergy symptoms.

Luckily, Mix was able to find a house for his in-laws that he heard about by word of mouth the day before it went on the market, and they snatched up a new duplex on Valerie Drive in the new Lincoln Place Development.

But now, when Mix is seeking to hire other professionals at BD, he sees the housing problem continue.

“I know there’s a lot of people who work for me at BD who live in Kearney just because they can’t find anything here that’s move-in ready and nice,” Mix said.

The goal of a new six-unit housing development on Burlington Street will be to provide upper management housing to keep new employees from living out of town due to lack of a places to live in Holdrege.

“We are seeing a higher rise in folks commuting than we are actually living here and working here,” said Capri Chapman, Executive Director of the Holdrege Development Corporation. “That’s a concern our agency has, and we’d like to keep our people here. It’s going to help the growth of our town and the taxes coming in here.”

Chapman said HDC purchased two lots at 1007 Burlington Street for $10,000 from the City of Holdrege to construct three duplexes. The lots are located across the street to the west of the old Washington School.

Chapman plans to apply for a grant to obtain partial funding for the units through a new Workforce Housing Initiative grant through NIFA (Nebraska Investment Finance Authority).

If all goes as planned, Chapman said they could break ground on new housing complex in the late summer or early fall of 2016. It is yet to be decided if the duplexes will be rentals or rent-to-own properties.

“They can go ahead and rent from us and still give themselves time enough to see where they would want to live in Holdrege, whether they would want to build a place or buy an older home that’s already existing,” Chapman said.

Chapman said she has consistently heard from leaders at BD, Allmand Bros and PMHC that finding housing for professionals they are trying to recruit is a roadblock they are facing.

Chapman said many of these managers ultimately rent in Kearney and may end up living there permanently and commuting to Holdrege.

This workforce housing initiative rounds out the current HDC housing projects being developed in Holdrege. The HDC is also currently offering lots for sale for single-family homes with no income restrictions (Prairie View), low-income rental units (Windhaven), and duplexes (Lincoln Place).

Windhaven Estates

Construction has officially begun on the new Windhaven Estates project on the south side of the Prairie View Addition on 12th Avenue.

McElhinney Builders is constructing the 16 units (eight duplexes). The first units are expected to be completed by Feb. 1. The target market for Windhaven rentals is working families. All renters would have to apply for residency and fall under certain income guidelines. Monthly rents would range from $425-$615.

Prairie View Addition

Construction has begun on the first new home in the Prairie View Addition east of Lincoln Street. And, construction on a second home is expected to begin soon. Chapman said of the 15 lots in Prairie View, nine are still available. Lot prices range from $28,500-$38,600, and there are no income limits or restrictions.