City of Valley developing quickly as population grows

VALLEY, Neb. (WOWT) - A decades-old project is moving close to completion in the City of Valley.

A new 450-foot pedestrian bridge will connect the city and the schools with the YMCA and the lake community. City officials believe the new bridge is just another attraction for a city that is rapidly growing.

Valley still has the small-town feel, but according to Mayor Cindy Grove, the city is growing quickly.

“From the 2010 to the 2020 census we were one of the fastest-growing cities at 62% growth, Grove said. Just in the last few years you can see if you drive around there’s housing going up everywhere, there’s commercial space going up, it’s just crazy how fast it’s growing.”

Tammy Henderson is one of the co-owners of Retail Therapy, a business in downtown Valley. Tammy grew up in Valley and never thought she would see her hometown grow so fast.

“When I was a kid I would see that population sign and it just didn’t seem like it was ever moving, and now it like doubled or tripled now,” Henderson said. “It’s really amazing how fast it’s grown.”

The city’s pedestrian bridge has been in the works for close to two decades, now it’s close to being complete. City officials believe the bridge will attract more people to Valley. The mayor says many people are attracted to the area’s lakes.

“Just being able to connect our YMCA to our school, and we still have that school relatively new, in the last couple of years. Being able to connect that and connect another lake community is just amazing.”

Kyle Hutchings moved his family from Omaha to one of the lake communities in Valley.

“It’s a great life and we’re seeing a lot more people come out this way,” Hutchings said. “Here at Mallard all the lots are full.

Mayor Grove says all of the growth is good for business, but the growth has been challenging for the city.

“We’re trying to become a little more automated so we can have some more efficiencies, but it’s definitely hard to keep up. We have people call every day wanting commercial space. They want to build here, they want to develop something, so it definitely keeps us busy.”

According to the census, Valley had a population of 1,875 people in 2010, and in 2020 the population has grown to more than 3,000.

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