The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) is now accepting applications for the creation of good life district project areas.
The purpose of the project areas is to further the state’s goal of maximizing transformative development outcomes within established good life districts in a timely way. Local sources of revenue derived from within a project area shall be used for eligible costs incurred within or related to the project area.
Legislative Bill 707 (2025) amended the Good Life Transformational Projects Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 77-4401 to 77-4407) and the Good Life District Economic Development Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 77-4408 to 77-4431) to allow for project areas to be established in good life districts. Project areas may be established in good life districts (1) located in a county with a population of 100,000 inhabitants or more and (2) where the city or village in which the good life district is located has established a good life district economic development program.
Good life district applicants who do not have controlling property rights over the entirety of the property in the good life district may submit an application to DED on or before September 3, 2025. Any other person or entity who is not the good life district applicant but has controlling property rights over property within an established good life district may submit a project area application beginning on September 4, 2025. Up to six project areas may be established within eligible good life districts, except in those districts in a city of the metropolitan class (the City of Omaha). Within a city of the metropolitan class, the good life district applicant shall be the only project area applicant and the good life district applicant’s project area shall be the only approved project area.
The Department will accept and review applications on a rolling basis. Reviews will be completed on a competitive basis. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval. Each application must include evidence of the applicant’s controlling property rights, a map of the proposed project area, a description of the proposed development to be pursued, and a description of how the project area is a viable development.
Additional information—including guidance regarding the process, a timeline for approving project areas, and the link to apply—can be found on the Department’s Good Life Transformational Projects Act webpage.
