City Finalizes Agreement for Bike Kitchen Move to Muny Pool Building

Published on March 01, 2024

The Parks and Recreation Department today announced that it has reached an agreement with the Lincoln Bike Kitchen to relocate into a portion of the former Municipal (Muny) Pool Building, 308 S. 21st St. The nonprofit organization plans to move into the space later this year and has provided free refurbished bicycles, bike parts and repair facilities to the community since 2012.

“We jumped at this opportunity when the Lincoln Bike Kitchen approached us,” Parks and Recreation Department Director Maggie Stuckey-Ross said. “This partnership really is a mission fit – we share the Lincoln Bike Kitchen’s passion to get people out on bikes, whether it be for transportation, recreation, or all of the above.”

The Lincoln Bike Kitchen will occupy about 2,700 square feet of the facility and will install a small structure southeast of the building for bike storage. The Parks and Recreation Department will continue to use the remaining space for offices and storage. Pursuant to the agreement, the Bike Kitchen will provide at least 250 bikes annually throughout the community.

Stuckey-Ross said the move is the result of years of work by the City to find an appropriate use for the Muny Building that met federal and local requirements for the property. Built in the 1920s, the former bathhouse served the Municipal Pool, which operated in Lincoln until the early 1970s. The building is designated as a local Historic Landmark and has most recently been used as office space. The property is also subject to federal Land and Water Conservation Fund restrictions.

“This use checked all our boxes – and the Lincoln Bike Kitchen’s as well,” Stuckey-Ross said. “The Lincoln Bike Kitchen will now be located in the heart of our trails system and the community it serves.”

The Lincoln Parks and Recreation Advisory Board approved the relocation plan in August 2023. The Historic Preservation Commission also reviewed the plan and approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for improvements to the Muny Building’s interior, addition of the storage building, and new signage.

“Thanks to the ample space and central location, Lincoln Bike Kitchen’s new home in the Muny Pool Building will allow us to grow and distribute more bikes to people who are unable to afford one,” said Bob Von Kaenel, Lincoln Bike Kitchen Board President.

For more information on the Lincoln Bike Kitchen, visit lincolnbikekitchen.org. For more information about Lincoln Parks and Recreation programs, visit parks.lincoln.ne.gov.