Local view: Now is the best time for Lincoln to build arena
Lincoln Journal Star
February 24, 2010
By Hannah Smitterberg
Thank you for providing a public venue for a constructive debate regarding the merits of the arena project. While I understand both sides of the issue, I am writing to express my support for this project because of the following factors:
1) The state of Nebraska — and Lincoln in particular — has put forth a concerted effort over many years to attract and retain talented residents that can participate in the building of a vibrant, diversified economy. I am, in many ways, a product of those efforts.
My husband and I moved to Nebraska two and a half years ago from a sun-belt state, and while we very much like the community of Lincoln, we felt that we also were making a “sacrifice” because of the lack of many cultural amenities. I firmly believe that the more the community of Lincoln can minimize this perception of sacrifice, the better able it will be to encourage its residents to stay here and others to move here. The arena project is just one of many types of projects that other communities successfully have undertaken to address this issue.
2) Few people disagree with the idea that economic diversification is a critical element in maintaining long-term stability for any community. Lincoln has a large degree of concentration in a few areas of economic development (government, the University and agriculture being three prominent examples). The entire community will benefit the more we are able to diversify the economy (and the job base) into other sectors.
3) Technology has been one such avenue for diversification that has been showcased prominently over the past few years. As a small-business owner of a technology driven company, I can say with utter certainty that our community’s ability to attract and retain highly skilled, technology-oriented individuals will be correlated directly to the quality of life that the community provides them.
