Gretna Nebraska population has doubled in last 10 years? (Omaha, Lincoln: pros and cons, subdivisions)

[billiefan2000]

Gretna growing at rapid pace
By Mike Tobias, NET News

June 30th, 2011

Lincoln, NE – What happens to a community when its population doubles in 10 years?

That’s the case in Gretna, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.

NET News’ Mike Tobias visited Gretna to find out the pros and cons of being Nebraska’s fastest growing community.


more... Gretna growing at rapid pace - KVNO News - KVNO News

[iamjacobm]

Gretna is the stereotypical bedroom community. You can live there and get to downtown without hitting a stop light. I wouldn't be surprised if it doubles again by the 2020 census.

[Coaster]

We lived there for three years in the late 1970s, and it was the quintessential small Nebraska town. There was just one housing development on farmland east of town. You'd never know Omaha existed, and it was quite possible to live there for years without ever driving into the city. Last time we were there, it had adopted the Omaha street numbering system and had become just another bedroom suburb. Sort of sad, actually. Does it still have the Gretna Days celebration?

[Omahahonors]

Elkhorn's population had quadrupled in size before Omaha annexed the city. It started the decade around 2,500 people and was near 9,000 before annexation with an attempt to grow to 10,500. All this growth was spillover from Omaha marching westward. Elkhorn could have still been a community of 9,000 today if not for their egotistical mayor.

Gretna will break 10,000 by the end of the decade. I'm sure it will break 12,000+ as a matter of fact. The amount of growth around this community is astonishing and only accelerating. So much growth that the development stretches from I-80 all the way into Millard without any breaks.

There is so much annexable subdivisions in Sarpy right now that the population of each community could instantly more than double. Much like Omaha in Douglas County the cities in Sarpy county didn't do very much annexing in part to waiting for these divisions to pay off debts first. Sarpy county grew by almost 37,000 people during the 2000s which was a 30% growth rate. I suspect some huge community population gains by 2020 as the subdivisions pay off their debts and with the current 4,000 a year growth rate in the county expected to increase even more.

[nebugeater]

Originally Posted by Coaster

We lived there for three years in the late 1970s, and it was the quintessential small Nebraska town. There was just one housing development on farmland east of town. You'd never know Omaha existed, and it was quite possible to live there for years without ever driving into the city. Last time we were there, it had adopted the Omaha street numbering system and had become just another bedroom suburb. Sort of sad, actually. Does it still have the Gretna Days celebration?

Yes to the Gretna Days. It is this weekend in fact ( July 15 - 17)



Gretna Chamber of Commerce > Gretna Days > Gretna Days Calendar


Come join in the activities. Great Firworks show on Friday night if it lives up to what has been the last few years.

[Coaster]

Well, darn, too bad we're so far away. I'd enjoy seeing Gretna Days again. My wife and I were in the parade one year, riding a "bicycle built for two." I still have the photo around here somewhere.

With all the growth around Omaha, what is happening out in the counties that don't have an Omaha or a Lincoln to stimulate population growth?

[Raphael07]

Depends... some of our smaller cities, namely Grand Island and Kearney, are starting to grow faster and have very good economies. Others are healthy as well, such as Hastings and Fremont, which are growing at a healthy pace. Norfolk, Beatrice, North Platte and Scottsbluff on the other hand continue to remain relatively stagnant.

[Omahahonors]

Fremont is way too close to Omaha to be considered an independent community. I fully expect fremont to reach 30k by 2020 with some rapid growth starting by the mid part of the decade.

[Coaster]

Has the increase in gasoline prices had much effect on suburban sprawl or growth in outlying communities? Fremont is a major commute into downtown Omaha, although not so much, I suppose, for the western and northern parts of the city. When we lived in Gretna, I worked in downtown Omaha, and the drive was 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic. Not sure I'd want to do that these days, given gas prices.

[iamjacobm]

Originally Posted by Omahahonors

Fremont is way too close to Omaha to be considered an independent community. I fully expect fremont to reach 30k by 2020 with some rapid growth starting by the mid part of the decade.

And Fremont is growing east and can now get to 90th and Dodge without hitting a light. That city will have a pretty good decade I predict as well.