City re-approves tax incentive for GoodLife Agriculture

May 20, 2026
Updated: May 20, 2026
By Dan Swanson for News Channel Nebraska
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NEBRASKA CITY – The Nebraska City Council re-approved tax increment financing for GoodLife Agriculture’s salmon processing facility after requiring the company to finance $1 million in street improvements.

Alison Borer, an attorney with Cline Williams, said $10.2 million in TIF was approved in 2024 when a salmon fishery was proposed, but the company is now envisioning raising salmon in phase two of a project. The company is moving forward with a fish processing center and $6.2 million TIF.

The company had announced plans to pave a shorter distance from the transfer station to Highway 75, but Borer said paving of 19^th Street has been added for a total of 1.2 miles of paving.  The new paving will pass Street Commissioner Joe Chaney’s residence, as well as St. Mary’s Cemetery and a proposed sports complex.

The original redevelopment plan had a 635,000 square foot building and 182 acres outside of the city limits with a pipeline and water wells to connect with a Missouri River aquifer.

The new site footprint will not include land outside of the city limits and the building is 265,000 square feet. The cost of the building will be about $54 million and the total investment with the equipment will be in the range of $240 million.

Borer: “Overall there’s a reduce project scope, but still a project that certainly has a substantial economic impact.”

Once completed, the county assessor expects the property’s tax valuation to be $39 million.

Borer: “The cost-benefit analysis notes that the redeveloper is making a $240 million total investment and approximately $10 million of that is going toward public infrastructure. They can bring properties and businesses that are going to benefit from the street improvements."

“This project is expected to create around 50 new jobs immediately and it should be a significant long-term industrial employment opportunity for the community.
Through the ImagiNE Nebraska Act administered by the state Department of Economic Development there is an exemption of the local sales tax for certain qualified purchases and personal property tax exemption if the company meets the minimum levels of employment and investment.

Borer said she mentions the ImagiNE Nebraska Act in case there is a perception that tax revenue deferred through TIF would be made up with sales tax.

Kiel VanderVeen of the company told city commissioners the project will break ground before winter with an 18-month construction period.

VanderVeen said the tax increment financing allows the $10 million in improvements to be made and for the site to be competitive with other locations.

VanderVeen: “We’re certainly hopeful that the street improvements, as well as other structure improvements will encourage more development in the area and we can keep this ball rolling.”