By North Platte Post
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Community members, business owners, and civic leaders are invited to a public town hall meeting on Thursday, May 29, to discuss the revitalization of North Platte’s Original Town neighborhood.
The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Mr. Appliance building, located at the corner of Highway 30 and Highway 83. Hosted by North Platte City Councilman Nick McNew and local businessman Chad Fosdick, the event aims to engage residents in developing a shared vision for improving the city’s north side.
McNew, who represents the area on the city council, said the north side holds personal significance for him.
“I was born and raised on that side of town, and I still live there,” McNew said. “It means a lot to me to try to get the revitalization going again and take pride in the area. We’ve seen some development—like new housing projects and a park across from Madison (School)—but we can and should do more.”
Fosdick, who has operated businesses in the area since 2020, echoed McNew’s sentiment, emphasizing the need for grassroots involvement.
“We want our location to reflect the pride of Original Town,” Fosdick said. “We’re hoping this meeting can be a launching point. We want to bring residents, community members, and business owners together to figure out a direction for any revitalization efforts.”
The idea for the forum stemmed from earlier conversations between Fosdick and Mona Anderson of Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful. Although initial meetings drew only a handful of participants, Fosdick said the goal is to expand the circle of engagement through Thursday’s event.
McNew noted that the area known as Original Town isn’t confined strictly to the north side of the railroad tracks. A map that will be shared during the meeting shows the neighborhood extends into parts of the south side, including the “tree streets” such as Oak and Maple, though the primary focus of the upcoming effort remains on the north.
Attendees are encouraged to bring not just ideas but potential solutions—particularly for dealing with vacant properties and underutilized spaces.
“It’s about rolling up our sleeves and getting involved,” Fosdick said. “This is about community pride. If we want to see change, it has to start with us.”
The town hall is free and open to the public. For more information, community members can reach out to McNew or Fosdick directly or attend the event on Thursday evening.