# Lincoln volleyball complex gets state tax incentive approval  
**Published:** 2026-05-07T20:00:41.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/07/pillen-led-board-approves-tax-incentive-for-omaha-lincoln-sports-facilities-rejects-nine-more/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/lincoln-volleyball-complex-gets-state-tax-incentive-approval

LINCOLN, Neb. — A state board led by Gov. Jim Pillen approved $17 million in state tax incentives Thursday for a new youth volleyball complex at 30th Street and Folkways Boulevard, marking a significant victory for the City of Lincoln and [Nebraska for Volleyball (N4VB)](https://www.n4vb.org/).

The [Sports Arena Facility Financing Assistance Act Board also approved](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/07/pillen-led-board-approves-tax-incentive-for-omaha-lincoln-sports-facilities-rejects-nine-more/) a $140 million downtown Omaha soccer stadium, but rejected nine other proposals from groups and cities across Nebraska, some of which had been waiting for a decision for 18 months.

The Lincoln project, a partnership between the city and the nonprofit N4VB, will feature a minimum of eight indoor volleyball courts with capacity to expand to 12. [The facility aims to expand access to volleyball for young athletes by offering low-cost recreational opportunities](https://www.n4vb.org/), addressing complaints that limited court space and high costs exclude many youth from the sport. According to N4VB estimates, the turnback tax could cover $12 million of the project's $17 million cost, with the remaining $4 million raised privately.

Board approval is conditional on voter approval. Lincoln voters will likely decide the project's fate in 2026. The facility is expected to draw more than 418,000 visitors in its first year of operation, according to the application.

The Omaha soccer stadium, planned for a downtown site north of Cuming Street, will serve as [home to Union Omaha's professional men's team and a new women's professional soccer team](https://www.unionomaha.com/news/2025/11/21/union-omaha-and-city-of-omaha-announce-plans-for-new-downtown-stadium-and-mixed-use-district/). The state incentive is capped at $25 million over 20 years, with private development expected to generate an additional $27 million in new sales tax revenue.

The decision came after months of resistance from Pillen, who said he voted for the two projects because their developments did not rely too heavily on state assistance and represented good investments for Nebraska. Pillen also noted the board considered area competitors and whether the public incentive provided unfair advantages.

The nine rejected proposals included a $63 million sports complex in Douglas County proposed by Nebraska Elite Volleyball, a $28.5 million cheer and dance facility in Gretna, and facilities proposed by the cities of Valentine and La Vista. Tony Carrow, president of Nebraska Elite Volleyball, questioned the selection process after the meeting, saying his organization's project had a better return on investment and track record than those approved.

"It just doesn't make sense," Carrow said. "It sounds like politics to me."

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/07/pillen-led-board-approves-tax-incentive-for-omaha-lincoln-sports-facilities-rejects-nine-more/)
- [N4VB official website describing the volleyball facility project](https://www.n4vb.org/)
- [Union Omaha announcement of downtown stadium and mixed-use district plans](https://www.unionomaha.com/news/2025/11/21/union-omaha-and-city-of-omaha-announce-plans-for-new-downtown-stadium-and-mixed-use-district/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/07/pillen-led-board-approves-tax-incentive-for-omaha-lincoln-sports-facilities-rejects-nine-more/.