LINCOLN- A bill aimed at enlarging the area where a long-awaited North Omaha business park could be developed advanced Tuesday to its final reading in the Nebraska Legislature. However, Legislative Bill 290, introduced by State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha, faced continued resistance led by State Sen. Bob Andersen of Sarpy County.

McKinney told the lawmaking body that he was asking for flexibility on the boundaries because there are problems with the top two locations identified by the development team awarded the $90 million in state funds to prepare the industrial site. McKinney’s bill would drop a requirement that the park be located within two miles of a major airport, instead allowing it to be within the broader boundaries of the Omaha Inland Port Authority.

McKinney also chairs the board that oversees the Port Authority. Its jurisdiction, members said, is roughly 3,000 acres, although not all of that is buildable property. The $90 million for a business park was part of the Economic Recovery Act approved by the Legislature in 2022 and updated in 2023. The act, which included other elements, was championed by McKinney and then-Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha.

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