Aerial View of the Regional West Medical Center There are many considerations when choosing a place of business. To help you quickly learn about our region and resources, we have assembled this kit with summary information about our communities. Scottsbluff/Gering Region Profile Kit Why you should consider doing business in Western Nebraska View of the National Monument located in Scottsbluff/Gering Table of Contents Welcome to the Valley 2 Twin Cities Development Association, Inc. 3 City of Scottsbluff History 3 City of Gering History 3 Where We Are (Geographic Location) 4-5 Aerial Map of the Region 6 Street Map of the City of Scottsbluff 7 Street Map of the City of Gering 8 Regional Demographics 9 Transportation, Highways and Airport 10-11 Utilities 12 Taxes and Rates 13 Healthcare 14-15 Education 16-17 Contact Us 18 Go online and vist our website at www.tcdne.org to learn more about: Major employers and industry Geography and Climate Available properties for development And much more… 1 Welcome to the Valley! Thank you for considering Western Nebraska for your next place of business. We know that you have many choices when it comes to starting or expanding your operations, and we are honored that you have considered the valley! We believe that you will find the Scottsbluff/Gering communities to be an excellent place to live, yet business friendly with quality employees to work with, a lower cost of living and doing business, and an abundant quality of life. Those of us who have called the area home for years are excited for you to join the community and get involved with all that it has to offer. Scottsbluff/Gering, a twin cities community, is located in Western Nebraska; the area is known as the Panhandle. With the Scotts Bluff National Monument as a scenic backdrop, the two communities have a population of approximately 30,000 combined, but serves a primary trade area of more than 50,000 and a secondary trade area of about 125,000. Although the city is a host to many businesses and amenities, it provides a quality of life that most people look for in a community. Our residents have a strong sense of community pride, value of neighborhood, and a strong work ethic. Conveniently located to larger metropolitan areas, you can get away to a concert or opera or for a fun ski weekend in the mountains or just stay home and enjoy the lake just 6 miles north of town and experience boating and fishing or go hiking in the Wildcat Hills just outside of the south end of Scottsbluff/Gering. Wildcat Hills offers 30,000 acres of public land surrounded by a beautiful setting in the great outdoors. Abundant trails for biking, hiking, site- seeing, and birdwatching, the Wildcats offers opportunities for fishing, golfing, and hunting as well. We are proud to have an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities and entertaining things to offer- all this in addition to several community events and festivals offered throughout the year. There is never a lack of things to become involved in. Scottsbluff/Gering is an area where you can truly make a difference and be a part of the community. So on behalf of all who live in Western Nebraska, we welcome you to explore our region that is far from ordinary. Respectfully, Sean Overeynder Community Development Director Twin Cities Development Association, Inc. 2 Downtown Scottsbluff at the Twin Cities Development Association, Inc. Building TWIN CITIES DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, INC. Economic Development for Western Nebraska Twin Cities Development Association, Inc. (TCD) is a non-profit organization, founded in 1985, and is the economic development organization for Western Nebraska. It is the goal of TCD to support economic development activities that create jobs and bring new capital into the area, as well as support the expansion of existing businesses. CITY OF SCOTTSBLUFF HISTORY Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, in the western part of the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The population was 15,039 at the 2010 census. Scottsbluff is the largest city in the Nebraska Panhandle, and the 13th largest city in Nebraska. Scottsbluff was founded in 1899 across the North Platte River from its namesake, a bluff that is now a U.S. National Park called Scotts Bluff National Monument. CITY OF GERING HISTORY Gering is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska , United States. The population was 8,500 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Scotts Bluff County. Gering was founded in 1887 at the base of the bluff that is now the center of Scotts Bluff National Monument. It was named for Martin Gering, a pioneer merchant. The city of Scottsbluff was founded across the North Platte River from the bluff in 1900. Separated only by the river, the two cities have since grown together and now form the 7th largest urban area in Nebraska. 3 Location in the U.S. 4 Loca tion in Nebraska 5 Aerial Map 6 City of Scottsbluff Street Map Downtown Scottsbluff One of the Many Retail Districts - Avenue I 7 City of Gering Street Map Downtown Gering Scottsbluff/Gering Civic Center 8 Regional Demographics Within a 50 minute drive time 2016 Population and Ethnicity Data Category 2016 Regional Census Population 48,795 Male 23,958 (49.9%) Female 23,940 (49.1%) White (Non-Hispanic) 37,236 (76.3%) Hispanic 9,007 (18.5%) Other 2,443 (5.0%) Black 211 (0.04%) 2014 Education Attainment (25 years and older) High School Diploma or more 88.4% Bachelor’s Degree or more 17.9% 9 Transportation Regional State Connections Cit y, State Distance in Miles Cheyenne, Wyoming 99 Fort Collins, Colorado 143 Casper, Wyoming 175 Rapid City, South Dakota 194 Denver, Colorado 199 Colorado Springs, Colorado 267 Lincoln, Nebraska 403 Omaha, Nebraska 451 Traffic Counts Highway Count 26 (East and West of Scottsbluff) 12,850 71N (Through Scottsbluff) 10,795 92 (East of Scottsbluff) 4,290 71S (South of Gering) 5,580 (On an average day based on Nebraska Department of Roads 2014) Leading State Highways Highway 26 East leads to Alliance Highway 92 East leads to Bridgeport Highway 71 North leads to various cities within the Southernmost parts of South Dakota Highway 26 West leads to various cities within Eastern Wyoming Highway 92 West leads to various cities within Eastern Wyoming Highway 71 South leads to various cities within Northern Colorado 10 Aerial View of the Western Nebraska Regional Airport Inside the Western Nebraska Regional Airport Airport, Railway Access, Bus Lines Airport (Regional) Western Nebraska Regional Airport, longest runway 8,279 feet Airport (International) Denver International Airport (195 miles) Lincoln Airport (LNK) (399 miles) Omaha Nebraska Eppley Airfield (460 miles) Railway Access Burlington Northern Santa Fe (Scottsbluff) Union Pacific (Gering) Bus Lines Denver Coach (Scottsbluff) Union Pacific in Gering Burlington Northern Santa Fe in Scottsbluff 11 Utilities Electricity Nebraska Public Power District City of Gering 515 1st Ave. 1025 P St. Ste. A Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Gering, NE 69341 (877) 275-6773 (308) 436-6800 Serves the City of Scottsbluff Serves the City of Gering http://www.nppd.com/contact-us/customer-service-centers/ http://www.gering.org/ Water, Sewer and Disposal City of Scottsbluff City of Gering 1818 Avenue A 1025 P St. Ste. A Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Gering, NE 69341 (308) 630-6220 (308) 436-6800 Serves the City of Scottsbluff Serves the City of Gering http://www.scottsbluff.org/ http://www.gering.org/ Telecommunications (Gigabit Internet Available!) Charter Communications ALLO Communications 1204 Avenue B 1450 10th St. Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Gering, NE 69341 (855) 866-2397 (866) 481-2556 www.charter.com www.allocommunications.com Vistabeam High Speed Internet 1606 Broadway Ste. E-3 Scottsbluff, NE 69361 (888) 251-0920 www.vistabeam.com Natural Gas Black Hills Energy 625 Ninth St. Rapid City, SD 57701 (888) 890-5554 www.blackhillsenergy.com 12 Taxes and Rates Property Taxes * The average effective property tax rate in the State of Nebraska is 1.88% The average effective property tax rate in Scotts Bluff County is 1.746% *NOTE: These rates are subject to change. Please contact the Scotts Bluff County Assessor at 308-436-6627 for verification. Sales and Use Tax Rate Entity Sales and Use Tax Rate Total Sales and Use Tax Rate State of Nebraska 5.5% (.055) 5.5% (.055) City of Scottsbluff 1.5% (.015) 7.0% (.070) City of Gering 1.5% (.015) 7.0% (.070) Income Tax – State of Nebraska Nebraska’s individual state income tax rates range from 2.46% to 6.84%. The State Office Building located in Scottsbluff The Scottsbluff Middle School after renovations 13 Healthcare Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff Regional West Medical Center: Multispecialty Medical Group Level II Trauma Center – One of only three in the State of Nebraska The third largest hospital in the state 2015 recipient of the Patient Safety Excellence Award, ranked in the top 10% for patient safety nationwide Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year 4021 Ave. B Scottsbluff, NE 69361 308-635-3711 Physicians Over 200 Specialized Physicians Offices located within Scottsbluff/Gering Dentistry Over 30 Specialized Dentistry Offices located within Scottsbluff/Gering 14 Valley Ambulance in Scottsbluff EagleMed in Scottsbluff- Located at the Western Nebraska Regional Airport Emergency Medical Transportation EagleMed A subsidiary of Air Medical Group Holdings, EagleMed is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services (CAMTS). All aircraft are completely configured and medically equipped for mission critical transports that transform the aircraft into a flying Intensive Care Unit.