KEARNEY, Neb. - After more than a year of planning and anticipation, Kearney has officially secured its place as Nebraska's fifth Good Life District, which is a long-term program that's designed to drive retail, tourism, and housing development through targeted initiatives.

The designation opens the door for new developments on 200 acres of currently undeveloped land on the south side of Kearney.

The project will focus on attracting large-scale retail, restaurants, housing, and tourism destinations, all while aiming to bring more out-of-state visitors into town.

"I think everyone's very excited," said Kearney's City Manager Brenda Jensen. "This is going to be impactful for the next 30 years in Kearney and well beyond that, so everyone's really excited about the next big thing that's happening in Kearney. It seems like there's always something every year," said Jensen.

Kearney's application stood out for several reasons, mainly its greenfield site, meaning that there's no current existing development other than the recently opened Kearney Sportsplex, which means no current tax revenue would be lost.

The city estimates that over the full 30-year period, more than $200 million in new development will be added, along with nearly 800,000 square feet of new space for businesses.

"We're going to see businesses and the type of attractions here that otherwise might not look at our area, just based off of general census data. And looking at how this is funded, just recognize there will not be a new tax associated with this project," said President of the Buffalo County Development Council Trevor Lee.

The state will rebate part of its sales tax, 2.75 percent, back to the city in order to reinvest in infrastructure and eligible expenses.

Before construction begins voters will likely weigh in on a city-led development plan in the coming year, which is another step towards bringing the vision to life.

"It's not going to happen overnight, but we're really excited that things will get going, especially because there's that 10-year window that you have to hit that first $100 million of new development," said Jensen. 

As the Good Life District begins to take shape, Kearney looks to set the stage for decades of progress.