Lincoln voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to authorize state-assisted financing for a proposed eight-court youth volleyball complex in north Lincoln. Maggie Griffin, executive director of Nebraska for Volleyball, says the project would address a shortage of court space and help more children participate in the sport.
Speaking Wednesday on KLIN’s Drive Time Lincoln, Griffin said interest in youth sports has grown while available space has struggled to keep up. “And right now, we just don’t have the space to be able to accommodate every kid who wants to play,” Griffin said. “And so unfortunately, a lot of kids are sidelined.”
The nonprofit, also known as N4VB, proposes an estimated $17 million facility at 30th Street and Folkways Boulevard, south of North Star High School. The November ballot question asks voters to authorize the city to establish the volleyball sports complex economic development project and appropriate state assistance toward it.
The proposed financing would use Nebraska’s sports facility turnback tax program, redirecting a portion of state sales tax revenue generated by the project and qualifying new nearby development to help finance construction. The measure would not create a new tax or increase tax rates, and the remaining construction costs would be privately funded.
Griffin said a facility dedicated to volleyball would reduce the need to repeatedly set up and remove equipment in shared gyms. “It creates a permanent home where kids can come in and they have access to volleyball all the time,” she said. “And so it just provides more opportunities.”
Griffin said moving volleyball activities into the complex could also free space at existing facilities for basketball and other sports. Plans include court rentals to help cover operating expenses, along with tournaments, camps and community programming.
Affordability is another priority for the nonprofit, which plans scholarships and free or reduced-cost opportunities for young players. Griffin said rising tournament fees and other expenses have made participation increasingly difficult for some families. “It’s just the barrier to entry is higher and higher,” she said. “And so I never want a kid to not be able to play volleyball because of the costs.”
Griffin said the organization is exploring after-school activities and summer open gyms, with programming shaped by community needs and the time of year. The facility could also provide opportunities for boys and adult volleyball players.
A vote for the measure would authorize the city to establish the project and appropriate state assistance. A vote against would reject that authorization.