By K C Belitz, President of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce

This week marks the two-year anniversary of the official ground-breaking for the Bradshaw Place subdivision in Columbus. That in itself isn't so significant. What is significant, however, is that in just those two years the lots in the neighborhood are completely sold out and numerous homes are done or under construction. In fact, from the time lots became available at Bradshaw Place it took just over one year to sell all 43 lots.

The Bradshaw Place neighborhood is the result of a New Neighborhoods housing grant awarded to Columbus by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development in 2007. The Columbus Housing Task Force, made up of volunteers representing the chamber and many other interested parties, pursued the grant, got the grant and then led the process. This group did a lot of work and made a lot of decisions, but none was more important or more fruitful that selecting NeighborWorks Northeast Nebraska as the developer of the site.

NWNEN put together financing that made the neighborhood affordable for home buyers. They worked with numerous builders in buying and developing the lots. And they brought serious expertise to working through the paperwork that comes with receiving any government grant.

NeighborWorks will be celebrating the success of Bradshaw Place and their other programs at their annual meeting next week in Columbus. I'm glad they are holding their annual meeting here, because their participation in Columbus has been an amazing success story.

The really exciting news is that the New Neighborhoods Grant program had a Phase II that also was awarded to Columbus. This means another $500,000 will come to Columbus to address needs in housing. The Housing Task Force has come back together to begin the work of bringing the next new neighborhood to fruition and there remains a clear need in our community for more affordable new housing, as the local housing market remains strong.