GIBBON, Neb. — Gibbon has been awarded nearly $500,000 in Community Block Grant Funding to revitalize its downtown area and develop a new comprehensive plan with assistance from the South Central Economic Development District. City Administrator Matt Smallcomb highlighted the current challenges facing the downtown.
“What hurts Gibbon is we have the railroad and Highway 30 that runs the center of it. So you have to come around up and over the overpass to get downtown.”
The new comprehensive plan will focus on housing and future business development over the next couple of decades. Of the grant, $435,000 will be allocated to upgrading sidewalks and lighting downtown, with a significant portion dedicated to helping businesses update their facades.
Smallcomb emphasized the importance of this initiative, saying, “We want people to be able to see from Highway 30 that, ‘hey, Gibbon has something going on downtown. You know, it looks nice. Let’s go check it out and come visit those businesses.’ Because really, that’s what supports us.”
Approximately a dozen businesses have expressed interest in utilizing the grant, which requires a 20% match from the businesses. Jennifer Samuelson, owner of multiple downtown businesses including The Casual Closet, agreed that aesthetics play a crucial role in attracting customers. “If a business looks nice, I think it just attracts more people to come inside as well,” she said.
Samuelson has been considering new doors and windows for The Casual Closet but had postponed due to costs. “We had decided to hold off here until we were able to recoup some of the other funds that we had used,” she explained. The downtown area could begin to see these changes over the next couple of years.
Samuelson believes this opportunity will greatly benefit her and other downtown business owners, allowing them to make exterior improvements they previously couldn’t afford. “It’ll allow some of the people who have already spent money on the inside of their buildings doing improvements, to maybe make some updates on the outside as far as new windows, awnings, just facade improvements in general that maybe they couldn’t afford,” she said.