Date:

October 5, 2000

For More Information Contact:

Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 441-7831
Wynn Hjermstad, Urban Development, 441-8211

Mayor Don Wesely today helped open the new McDonald’s restaurant at 875 North 27th Street and reported on the progress of other improvements now underway in the area.

"As each new development opens, the surrounding neighborhoods can celebrate the ongoing revitalization of this area," Mayor Wesely said. "They can also celebrate the fact that the improvements are happening because residents and business owners worked with the city to create the North 27th Street Redevelopment Plan.: That plan was approved by the City Council in March 1998 and includes the area from 'N' Street north to near Leighton Street. Mayor Wesely also thanked the new North 27th Street Business and Civic Organization, which includes business and property owners and residents of the neighborhood.

The 3,800-square foot restaurant, the eleventh McDonald’s in Lincoln, seats 90 customers and employs 60 people. It replaces the McDonald’s at 865 North 27th Street, which was one of the first McDonald’s in the state. It was built in 1962 by Sheldon Kushner, a Lincoln businessman who is the developer of the new restaurant.

McDonald’s Corporation has donated $40,000 to Cedars Youth Services of Lincoln to assist the organization in developing the Northbridge Center for Children and Youth. This community center would be located just north of the new Police Team Station at 27th and Holdrege streets. U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey is working to secure some federal funding for the project. Cedars hopes to begin construction next spring.

Other projects underway along North 27th include:

• The new Walgreens, now under construction on the northwest corner of 27th and Vine is scheduled to open in late November. The 15,120-square-foot building will replace the current smaller Walgreens at 27th and 'Y' streets.

• Sterling Village will house retailers and medical and professional businesses on the west side of North 27th between 'S' and 'T' Streets. The developers hope to open the project next spring. The block was residential, but many of the homes were beyond repair. The city purchased them and cleared the block except for a brick house at the corner of 27th and 'S' streets. That home was purchased and moved October 1 to Bennet.

• New median lights and neighborhood signs have been installed. Future streetscape improvements include landscaping the medians, which will be completed this fall, weather permitting.

• Funds are being raised to extend the MoPac bike trail near 'X' Street from 33rd Street into the UNL campus with a new trail bridge over 27th Street. The new bike trail connection has been named the Husker Link. The Great Plains Trails Networks (GPTN) has raised over $100,000, and federal funds will be sought. GPTN’s next fund-raiser is from 6 to 9 p.m., Thursday, October 12 at Cycle Works and The Moose’s Tooth on the southeast corner of 27th and Vine streets.

• The city has begun working on a new project at the site of the old broom factory, on the west side of 27th Street between 'X' and 'Y' streets. Plans are to remove the building for new commercial space.

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