JANUARY 27, 2010 (LINCOLN, NEB.)—The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) is accepting nominations through March 15 for the 2010 Showcase Community Award. A community may nominate itself or another community. Community development professionals also may submit nominations. The form can be found here.

Presented by Governor Dave Heineman in conjunction with National Community Development Week, the award recognizes a community that has demonstrated an exceptional capacity to identify development goals and strategies; combined local, state and federal resources to achieve those goals; and accomplished positive impact projects during the past 5-10 years.

Last year’s Showcase Community winner Farnam (pop. 227) undertook projects including rehabbing a vacant building into a business incubator for three start-up businesses; purchasing a new fire truck; and rehabbing 19 owner-occupied homes, among other endeavors.

National Community Development Week was started in 1986 to emphasize the value of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. For more than 30 years, Nebraska projects have received a tremendous boost from the program. During the past five years, $60,921,973 CDBG funding was invested in 380 projects statewide, leveraging an additional $122,093,762 in state, local and private investment. This breaks down to a yearly average for the following categories:

• 25.63% of CDBG funds going to economic development projects, including $15.6 million to create or retain 3,086 jobs.
• 26.13% or $15.9 million of CDBG funds going to public works projects, benefitting 85,994 and leveraging an additional $18.5 million in public and private.
• 17.12% or $10.4 million of CDBG funds going to water/wastewater projects, benefitting 29,677 and leveraging an additional $28 million in public and private funds.

This year, National Community Development Week will be celebrated April 4-10.