Nebraska Crossing owner aims to add USA Volleyball to Gretna

He also said he is trying to attract a National Hockey League team.

Rod Yates, owner and operator of Nebraska Crossing Shopping Center, told a state commission Wednesday that he is “in the final stages” of finalizing an agreement to relocate the USA Volleyball facility from Anaheim, Calif. .

“It’s going to be about a $150 million to $200 million facility,” Yates said. “And they’re going to be relocating 100 Olympic athletes. You’re going to see all of their corporate staff and training staff relocate to Gretna and become an important part of our community.”

An attempt to join USA Volleyball Wednesday afternoon was unsuccessful.

Yates unveiled his plans during a public hearing on Legislative Bill 1374, which refines the tax incentives developers receive when forming districts under a law passed last year.

The Good Life District along Interstate 80 between Omaha and Lincoln was approved by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development this month.

Lawmakers are still fine-tuning the process by which developers and cities work together to use a portion of the state’s sales tax revenue to encourage new businesses to build in these districts.

These districts are intended to attract unique, tourism-oriented businesses.

Yates said that after the law was passed last year, he called John Cook, the head volleyball coach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and asked him how to bring USA Volleyball to Nebraska.

Yates said the coach reached out to USA Volleyball CEO Jamie Davis.

Cook also testified at the hearing and said he helped bring program officials on trips that included the Volleyball Day event at Memorial Stadium, which drew 92,003 spectators and was the largest event for a women’s sporting event. He said he broke the world record.

“We made the calls and got them out here,” he said. “They came to the stadium game with some of the players and coaches and fell in love with Nebraska.”

Cook described the California facility as “terrible.”

The team has no place to live, he said. This will be a “one-stop place” for them to buy a home, he said.

“For me, this is just a great opportunity for the U.S. program. And, you know, volleyball is pretty big right now and getting even bigger.”

Yates said his district is also home to an NHL team.

Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss said Gretna’s Good Life District attracts 16 million to 18 million tourists a year, boosting annual retail sales of $2.2 billion and attracting 40,000 visitors. It is estimated that the project will create full-time jobs and 18,000 full-time residents.

Yates said the two collaborated on a study of the economic impact on the National Hockey League. Goss ranked all existing franchises and proposed expansion franchises, and Nebraska ranked “No. 1 and No. 2 in every category,” Yates said.

They provided this information to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who confirmed that someone in Omaha had sent him a lengthy email expressing interest in the team.

“We shared that with Mr. Bettman, and he invited us to come to New York with his team this Friday and offer us an opportunity to be part of the Good Life District,” he said. Ta.