In 1999, the Nebraska Legislature enacted the Local, Civic, Cultural, and Convention Center Financing Act, establishing a source of funding for community development projects. Now in its 25th year, the fund—now known as the Civic and Community Center Financing Fund (CCCFF)—continues to have a positive impact throughout Nebraska.
Alliance
Sunken Gardens, in Alliance Central Park, serves as the principal outdoor venue for the community, hosting weddings, concerts, and community get-togethers. Built during the Great Depression, Sunken Gardens had begun to show its age by the 2010s. Its 86 wooden pillars had deteriorated to the point where they could no longer be maintained, marring the beauty and charm of the site.
The Alliance community started a grassroots campaign in 2017 to revitalize the park and replace the pillars. An anonymous donor even gave $250,000 to help the campaign. With growing momentum for the project, city leadership successfully applied for a CCCFF planning grant (awarded in 2019) and a CCCFF construction grant (awarded in 2020).
Randy Waggener, who was Finance Director for the City of Alliance at the time, said the Sunken Gardens has resumed its status as a go-to gathering place for the community after being rebuilt. “It has become a central spot again for concerts, churches, weddings, and gatherings. Any kind of event has a trickle-down effect for businesses, and it has a positive impact when you bring people to town.”