Superior, Nebraska
Means Business

Business Incentive Program: The Superior Economic Development Advisory Council will provide credits based upon jobs created and capital investment to any qualifying businesses using LB840 Economic Development funds. The credits may be used to obtain and pay for city services and utilities, and/or land owned by the city to create a new business or expansion of an existing business.  This includes sites at the 30 acre Kottmeyer Business Park.

The Utility Deposit Guarantee Program was established to provide assistance to new business owners by off-setting one of the start-up costs of opening a business in Superior.  Application forms can be obtained from the Superior Chamber of Commerce, 354 N. Commercial, Superior, NE 68978, 402-879-3419, superiorcc@winstream.net.

City Auditorium Restoration Project: The Superior City Auditorium was built in 1937 as a WPA project. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is within the Superior Downtown Historic District. It has been accepted into the "Save America's Treasures" program. A committee is working to preserve this historic structure and return it to a useful community purpose. The current plan calls for the work to be done in phases. The first phase will open a small community room, serving kitchen and restrooms adequate for the entire building along with installing a dry sprinkler system in the building and roof repairs. The following story about the project was prined in he Feb. 9, 2012 issue of The Superor Express. Members of the Superior AuditoriumRenovation Committee are working this week to finalize plans to accept the offer made by the City of Superior to transfer title to the now closed auditorium At the Jan. 9 meeting of the council, four of the six council members present and voting agreed to offer the building to the committee for $1 and to deposit with the Nuckolls County Foundation $185,000. If the committee moves forward with plans to renovate and reopen the auditorium, the money may be used to help with funding the project. However, acceptance of the title to the building lets the city off the hook for future operational and maintenance expenses. If the committee does not act by noon Monday, the council motion directs that a demolition bid from Hiatt Construction be accepted. Soon after the building was closed by the council in the 1990s, plans were drawn to convert the building into the Republican Valley Arts Center. Donors purchased from the United States Postal Service a vacant lot north of the post office and negotiations were begun to purchase the wood frame structure between the lot and auditorium which was built to house the Florea Hospital. A fund raising drive was launched and plans drawn for an addition to the south which would have housed a multipurpose room suitable for use as an exhibit hall. The proposed room could also have been used for events like auctions and town team basketball. As part of that plan, ownership of the auditorium was to have been turned over to the non-profit Superior Community Corporation. It was hoped an endowment would fund any operational losses. The council balked and said the building was far too valuable to be given to the community corporation for a dollar. The project stalled when the community corporation didn't like the city's terms and the money that had been collected was returned to the donors. The council tried to reopen the building but learned because it had been closed and the utilities disconnected, the grandfather rights had been surrendered and it could not be reopened without meeting current codes. The city did not have the money required to meet the code and the project remained stalled. When it came time to ask the voters to renew the sales tax authorization, it was decided to ear mark a portion of the money raised for capital improvements. Unlike the first time when voters approved specific amounts for projects like a new library and swimming pool bathhouse, this time the proposal was more open ended with only suggested projects like a new swimming pool and auditorium renovation. The mayor appointed a new committee and took a seat on the committee. The committee was charged with the task of renovating and reopening the auditorium. However, the project has never received the full support of the council and has faced vocal opposition from some community residents. The council did approve using a portion of the sales tax money to pay for architectural, acoustical and engineering studies and the development of plans. But in recent months the council again balked when the committee requested permission to proceed with the renovation in phases. The plans have changed and evolved over the years and are no longer as elaborate as once envisioned. No longer does the plan include a multipurpose exhibition hall addition. In an attempt to control operational costs, the plan does call for using alternative energy systems like ground source heat pumps, the development of a serving kitchen, a smaller meeting room and restrooms large enough to serve the entire building when it is reopened, along with repairing the roof. A sprinkler system would be added so the main hall could be used but in this first phase climate control systems for the main hall along with other hall improvements would not be completed. It would be possible to use the main hall at those times of the year when neither heating nor cooling would be needed.

All of the water would be centralized in one area so during severe winter weather only a small portion of the building would require minimal heat. But the city council on a split vote refused to allow the committee to move forward on the plan. Instead a call went out for demolition bids. The first set of bids were rejected and a second call was made. Committee members and the council have disagreed over the proposed cost of demolition. The committee believes the demolition cost to control the asbestos would be much higher than the council expects. Some uncertainty surrounds the main floor. Until the floor is removed and the area tested, there is the possibility that asbestos was used under the floor. This type of construction was common in WPA projects like the City Auditorium. If there is asbestos under the floor, demolition costs may be substantially higher than the $185,000 the council expects. If the building is renovated, the asbestos under the floor becomes a mute point. The renovation will not disturb the asbestos and it will not be necessary to spend money to contain it. If the committee is able to obtain ttle to the building, the first order will be to make minimal repairs to stabilize and preserve the building. Then a fund raising drive will begin in earnest. When the committee last met to discuss the possible acquisition, members agreed if they accepted the building, they were also accepting the fact that they would be in a continual state of fund-raising seeking funds for the maintenance and operation of the building. The community appears to be somewhat divided over the project. Some people are supportive of the project, while some are neutral and others much opposed. It appears if the plan moves forward Monday as expected, the supporters of the building will have an opportunity to finally determine if there is enough support to make the project feasible. Members of the auditorium committee include Stan Sheets, Verna Kirchhoff, Timothy and Sonia Schmidt, Charles and Eleanor Stiles, Steve and Karen Fox, Floyd and Karen Rothfuss, Dick and Jan Miller, Beverly Beavers, Linda Simonsen, Deb Ostdiek, Bob and Ged Leibel, Lew and Pamela Hunter, Dixie Whitney, Richard Schmeling, Larry Langer, Marty Pohlman, Louise Henderson, Dave and Karen Fry. The committee has donations and pledges exceeding $130,000 and the city has comitted $185,000. Members anticipate that once the ownership is transferred to a private, non-profit group and the demolition prospect removed, more donations will be received. In addition there will be an on going attempt to secure grants to pay for both the rennovation and operation of the auditorium. The auditorium is part of the downtown historical district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The state historical society has approved and sent on to the federal level a request calling for the auditorium to be listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places. The auditorium's first official use was the President's Birthday Ball held 70 years ago this week. The ball was a fund raiser for the March of Dimes, a favorite charity supported by President Franklin Roosevelt. For more information on the project contact the mayor of Superior, Sonia Schmidt. Donations for the audiorium restoration project may be sent to the Nuckolls Couny Foundation %Lois Sullivan 349 Road 3550, Superior, Nebraska 68978   On Feb. 15, it appears the transfer will be finalized in late February. On Feb. 13 the city council took steps to declare the building surplus and approve the sale.

First Business Locates in Kottmeyer Business Park Superior Industries is the first business to locate in the Kottmeyer Business Park. The company has purchased the 20,000 square foot building constructed on speculation by the Superior Development Corporation. Consructed in 2003 it is located on 10 acres. Owned by Arlen and Valerie Mickelsen, Superior Industries manufactures ATV sprayers and custom builds sprayers for other applications. Several additonal lots are available in the business park. Fire insurance classificatis is 4 for the Superior Industries building. It is located one mile to 40-member volunteer fire department, 24-hour police protection provided. 7,200 volt electreical distribution system serves the site., 4" natural gas main with 25 lbs. pressure. 8" water main with 70 to 75 lbs static pressure, 10 " sewer main, tricking filter treatment plant. ADSL, DSL, ISDN lines are available. Served by Nebraska highways 8 and 14, located on paved street, 25 miles from 4-lane U.S. Highway 81. BNSF and UP railroads served the community Business park is two blocks from rail. Municipal airport has a 3,700 foot lighted and hard-surfaced runway. At a time with rail sites are becoming increasingly had to find, Superior has undeveloped sites with the potential for service from both the BN&SF and the Union Pacific Railroads. Bedrock may be as clsoe as 35 feet below the surface which offers a solid foundation upon which to build. Abundant limestone is found nearby in Jewell County, Kansas. This limestone provided an economical raw material source for the Ideal Cement Company plant which operated in the community for more than 70 years, An operating limestone mine is located within 3 miles of Superior. Volcanic ash is also mined in nearby Jewell County.

Agriculture Superior is a rural agricultural community. The primary crops grown in the area are corn, wheat, soybeans and grain sorghum (milo). Pictured to the right is a sample of food grade milo, a type designed for human consumption, which is now grown in Nuckolls County. A food grade grain sorghum milling operation operates near Superior. Area farmers are exploring alternative and niche crop ideas. Economic development activities include exploration of value added agricultural products. The area is unique in that about an equal number of acres in the Superior trade area are devoted to growing corn, grain sorghum, soybeans and wheat. Many areas have two crops, our area has four.

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Location: Superior is located in the center of the United States, only 23 minutes from the new four lane Highway 81, connecting south to Interstate 70 and north to Interstate 80.

Bedrock: Heavy industry would benefit from plants constructed on ground with bedrock only 35 to 50 feet below the surface.

Railroads: Superior is served by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

Utilities: Abundant volumes of natural gas are available in Superior with a six inch service line for industry. Electrical service is easily accessible and reliable with multi sources for consistent, uninterrupted service.