BURWELL – Central Nebraska continues to grow. The City of Burwell and several heavy hitters in the economic development arena from local to state levels broke ground on 2 houses on Friday morning.
The city, with assistance from the Central Nebraska Economic Development District, received over half a million dollars from the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF) to construct the homes. The celebration caught the attention of locals and representatives, and even Governor Jim Pillen.
In an interview with KCNI/KBBN after his remarks, Governor Pillen said that the 2-home growth for Burwell is indicative of a larger trend in smaller communities throughout the state, a trend which, he said, should come as no surprise.
“It’s the greatest opportunity since the founding of our state. We’ve been having out-migration our whole lifetime, and today more than 90% of kids growing up in our communities want to raise their families in the places they grew up.”
Governor Pillen went on to say that a “return to roots” improves the present and future of central Nebraska through its youth, an issue that has remained close to the governor’s heart.
Above: Governor Pillen’s speech at Burwell Friday morning.
“We have to have kids to educate. We have to grow our communities. We have to have young people growing and working and building our communities. When we have kids, we have life and vigor and vitality, and it inspires all of us.”
Burwell mayor Terry Cone, in his speech to those gathered, praised the efforts of Burwell Economic Development and said that he anticipates that both single-family homes will sell even before they’re completed. He elaborated in an interview after the speech.
“It’s an extremely big deal for us. The biggest factor limiting our growth is housing. We’ve got jobs, opportunities, and young people coming back to raise their families.”
Cone said that while he and his team are enjoying the celebration as it unfolds, they have no plans to slow down; with smart management of their NAHTF money, they could be building towards a new neighborhood in Burwell.
“We’re actually thinking about a third house. With the grant we have, you can do up to 3. Once you get the third completed and sold, you’re in a rotation where you can keep building. The next step is to get a subdivision planned out.”
Above: Mayor of Burwell Terry Cone’s remarks during Friday’s groundbreaking.
Cone said that Burwell is on pace to build one house per year. The first of the pair of homes, and hopefully the first of many, will be completed by next spring, according to the mayor’s estimate, with both finished by 2025.
