LINCOLN, Nebraska — Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, Mike Sousek, Lower Platte South NRD General Manager, and various community partners have announced the acquisition of land for a new park in northwest Lincoln, which will be named Cornhusker Bank Park.

“Thanks to the generous support of our public and private partners, Cornhusker Bank Park will enhance the natural environment and quality of life for our friends and neighbors in northwest Lincoln and for everyone in our community for generations to come,” Mayor Gaylor Baird stated. “This new park will add to the green tapestry of Lincoln’s parks and advance our goal to become the quality-of-life capital of the country.”

The 154-acre site at 2180 Arbor Road will feature:
• 85 acres dedicated to wetland and floodplain conservation
• 58 acres set aside for active park use
• 11 acres reserved for the future headquarters of the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District (NRD)

In the coming year, the City will collaborate with the community to determine the park’s amenities and features. The Parks Department is working on a master plan and expects to complete the initial phase, including a parking lot and trails, by the end of 2025.

The land was purchased for $3 million in February by the Solidago Conservancy, which focuses on conserving natural areas and connecting people with open spaces. The City acquired the land through a public-private partnership that included contributions from the Lower Platte South NRD, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant, the Dittman Family/Cornhusker Bank, the Saline Wetlands Partnership, additional private donations, and City land acquisition funds.

Attending the announcement were Maggie Stuckey-Ross, Director of Parks and Recreation; John Dittman, Chairman of Cornhusker Bank; Nicole Fleck-Tooze, Executive Director of the Solidago Conservancy; and City Councilman Bennie Shobe.

Stuckey-Ross highlighted that the new park aligns with the long-term goals outlined in the Lincoln/Lancaster County Comprehensive Plan to establish a community park in northwest Lincoln. She emphasized that the park embodies Lincoln’s values of conservation, community, and collaboration.

“Our department is dedicated to providing future generations with sustainable and enriching natural places to enjoy, to explore and to play,” Stuckey-Ross said. “It has been a pleasure to work alongside our partners on this project.”

Fleck-Tooze praised the park’s location, noting the unique Eastern Saline Wetlands in Lancaster and Saunders counties, which are found nowhere else on Earth.

“It’s not every day that we have a chance to protect special places like this. It might be once in a generation or more, that an opportunity comes along for the perfect site for a community park and protection of incredibly unique natural resources at the same time,” Fleck-Tooze said.

Sousek added that the property offers a chance to expand NRD programs and initiatives, including habitat restoration, environmental education, and community outreach.

“This project marks a significant milestone in our collective mission and represents years of dedicated work between the LPSNRD, the City of Lincoln, Lincoln Parks Foundations and numerous other partners,” Sousek said. “The new location will provide ample space for habitat restoration projects, environmental education workshops, and community outreach events.”

Dittman expressed enthusiasm for the park's potential benefits and uses for the community.

“Our hope and prayer is that this special place is a blessing for all who wish to learn about and explore the great outdoors, play and exercise, compete athletically, gather socially and work here,” Dittman said.

The future park is situated directly west of the 127-acre Arbor Lake Conservation Area and south of the 156-acre Shoemaker Marsh Conservation Area, both owned by the City of Lincoln. It is also less than a mile from the Alvo Road Trail and within a three-mile radius of nearly 9,000 homes.

“This park will be a gem for northwest Lincoln and our entire community. On this very parcel of land, families, individuals and children will create memories that will last them a lifetime,” Shobe said.