Background/Discussion
The city of Council Bluffs is experiencing a shortage of housing, with rental vacancy rate of 1.7% and owner-occupied vacancy rate of 0.6%. The shortage of units has contributed to an increase in median rents and home values. 64.1% of the city’s housing stock was built prior to 1990. 21,131 of the 32,898 members (64.2%) of the Council Bluffs workforce lives somewhere outside of city limits; 12,971 of those workers (39.4%) live in the state of Nebraska. Employers in Council Bluffs are in competition for that workforce that often has opportunities in Nebraska that come available that are more geographically convenient than commuting through the whole metro to Council Bluffs.
Upon the death of his brother Nathan, in the 1911-1913 timeframe, General Grenville Dodge donated a 400’ wide strip of land along the Missouri River between the Union Pacific bridge and the Douglas Street Bridge amounting to roughly 40 acres with the conditions of: a) a park be named after his deceased brother Nathan P. Dodge; b) a levee be constructed at City expense along the river between the two bridges; and c) a boulevard be constructed atop the levee to also be named after Nathan P. Dodge. The City recommends naming a park space and/or street after a Dodge Family member. The remainder of the golf course land was donated by Ben Marks and acquired/purchased by the City in 1913.
Landscapes Unlimited manages the golf course. The City owes the company due notice for any potential termination of contract and/or communication as to how many more golf seasons can be played. With a property of this magnitude, the timeline may be such that at least two more golf seasons (through 2026) might be played.
A housing market study was conducted by SB Friedman. A conceptual plan layout based on the market study was laid out by HDR. This exercise was to get a sense for a ballpark of costs, yield of housing units and types of units, and ultimately the assessed value and property tax that could be generated with a similar type of development. At full buildout, the conceptual exercise yielded over 3,900 units and over $1 billion in assessed value with over $22 million in property tax generated. 100% tax increment financing for 20 years was not the assumption for this conceptual plan, nor is that a desire by the City. This concept gives the City confidence that a quality development will create housing opportunities and last value.
Any future requests for proposals (RFPs) for a master plan or for a master developer would be required to be approved by the City Council.
Numerous additional actions and steps would lie ahead for the public, City Planning Commission, and City Council such as Comprehensive Plan Amendments, master plan, Changes of Zone, Development Plans, Subdivisions, Urban Renewal Plans, tax increment financing districts, development agreements, or infrastructure improvements. Coordination and approval with the Army Corps of Engineers is required with any project related to levees. Stormwater management (flow, detention, infiltration, etc.) is required of all developments in the engineering design phase. Each and every sale of property is approved by the City Council.
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