Bold Plan to Grow Lincoln: Annex Omaha

By: Bonney Bowman - Email

Updated: Mon 4:45 AM, Jun 18, 2012

One Lincoln City Council member has a bold plan to push the capital city into the spotlight - he wants to annex Omaha.

City Council Chair Adam Hornung proposed the 2012 Annexation of Omaha, which would mean some big changes for Lincoln's landscape.

The former-Omaha metro area and outlying subdivisions will become part of the capital city, along with 800,000 residents.

Hornung says it will bring some big benefits to those residents of former-Omaha, saying "they'll now be able to get to Memorial Stadium quicker because it's just a drive across town. In addition, Lincoln is a much healthier city, so their life expectancies will automatically increase."

Just to be clear, Hornung is kidding...sort of.

He says this is a tongue in cheek way to highlight the many great things about life in the capital city, and it's a message he wants others to hear loud and clear.

Hornung says, "it's just one of the best untold stories in the country and I think once we annex Omaha, that will show people that we really have reached that next level."

The annexation plan is a kick-off to a bigger re-branding effort for Lincoln, which starts Thursday.

Hornung says he wants to keep the momentum going and is already eyeing other cities in the area, including Kansas City and Chicago.

And if Omaha doesn't go for it, Hornung says he will compromise, annexing instead only Millard, Papillion, La Vista and Ralston.

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