About the Community Redevelopment Authority

For years, the citizens of Bayard heard rumors about plans to redirect the path-to-nowhere Bayard travels. Nevertheless, even though deadheaded toward destruction, no one had the gumption to pull Bayard’s rail-switch, which would redirect our communities’ overall complacent attitude.

Ideas remained ideas.

However, through reincarnation, new births, redirected attitudes, and a common denominator of blood, sweat, and tears, the corrosion on Bayard’s “rail switch” is breaking up.

Why? The oil of activity penetrates complacency and prevents it from reproducing.

But, enter a caveat. A lack of community participation could cause Bayard’s burgeoning program of revitalization to derail.

An engineer of Bayard’s pending rebirth is the Community Redevelopment Authority (CRA), and they’re asking Bayard’s citizen’s to help shovel the coal-of-progress into Bayard’s firebox.

The coal-of-progress is community participation.     

Briefly, the CRA plans to have three power-meetings, one with Bayard’s business owners, one with the overall community, and one with Bayard High School juniors and seniors.

The idea behind those ideas is more ideas.

From the meetings, the CRA wants to compile a consensus of thoughts from citizens concerning Bayard’s downtown revitalization. This is a major project that won’t evolve overnight; ideas need to overflow the boxcars of the future-of-Bayard-express.”

Bayard needs the express to stop here and not sardonically blow smoke in our faces as it passes through.

From your point of view, as a citizen of Bayard, what are your suggestions for downtown Bayard to become upscale? What’s needed to make our downtown aesthetically pleasing to those that live here, pass thru, or are tourists?

Maybe new downtown sidewalks, uniform trash cans and benches, or trees on Main Street? Maybe a historic slant based on the Oregon Trial and Chimney Rock? The CRA wants your ideas.

What’s needed for our downtown to have a persona that radiates BAYARD, and not reek it. What’s needed for Bayard’s downtown to attract those who seek a new hometown, or look for a place to start a business?

A downtown that leaves a magnetic Bayard-scent that draws our high school graduates back home, after they finish their education.    

The City of Bayard needs YOUR ideas. They need ideas so they know what kind of funding to seek. 

They need ideas to present the Department of Roads. (Bayard’s Main Street is a State of Nebraska Highway with state rights that go to the front door of businesses; Bayard needs permission from the Department of Roads for downtown revitalization projects.)

The City of Bayard needs to set project priorities, and need bids for those projects. The list goes on and on.

As citizens of Bayard your input is beyond vital.

Your Transcript will inform you of what’s happening and the meeting dates; plus the dates will be posted at the City Office Building. Meetings will happen this summer, soon, so don’t put this information in your caboose. It’s time for Bayard’s engine to take its rightful place as “The Little Engine that Could,” and did.