New house taking shape on west fourth Street

Construction is well underway in Superior this week on the fifth Project BOOM house. Six of the houses are to be built with grant funding obtained through a competitive State of Nebraska program. The house now under construction is located at Fourth and Colorado. The new house replaces an older, vacant house that, according to local legend, was once occupied by Jesse James' sister.

The BOOM in Project Boom stands for building owner occupied momentum. According to the City of Superior website, the project is focused on the construction of affordable, owner occupied, infill residential units. The project is partially funded by a Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund Innovative Housing Grant and will build six single family homes. The homes are being marketed to potential buyers who make at or below 120 percent of Nuckolls County's median income as established by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Two of the four houses built under the program have been sold. Those houses are located at 216 W. Eighth Street and 250 Converse Street.

Under the terms of the program, the houses are to employ innovative design features. The completed but unsold houses feature two levels. The sold homes are more conventional single level homes as is the house under construction.

Yet to be constructed on a city owned lot near Lincoln Park is a house the will include the conversion of a shipping container into a living space.

Private investors have also undertaken an innovative approach to residential housing design with a project known as Montana Meadows. That project has completed and sold one home and has another on the market.

According to the developers' plans, as one home is sold the proceeds will be reinvested in another home with the goal of growing Superior's population by making available modern housing.