Rare Bellevue cybersecurity and defense tech campus poised for takeoff as anchor tenant secured

BELLEVUE — Now that its main tenant has been “nailed down” and an agreement signed, a campus focusing on national defense technology in this military-heavy Nebraska town should start to take shape.

That’s the word from City of Bellevue officials working with anchor tenant Nebraska Defense Research Corp. on the long-planned Research, Engineering, Architecture Collaboration Hub, or “REACH” facility.

The REACH complex — envisioned as a secure space occupied by researchers, startups, private industry and defense contractors — is to receive $50 million from the state and when fully built, total private and public investment could be $300 million, said Bellevue economic and community development director Harrison Johnson.

It is to be the centerpiece of a broader neighborhood dubbed Prairie Hill Farm collaboration campus that, as planned, could span 45 acres northeast of Highways 75 and 34, not far from Offutt Air Force Base and the U.S. Strategic Command (StratCom). Prairie Hill over time could surpass $600 million in private and public investment, partners have said, and feature housing, hotels, retailers and entertainment venues designed to attract a high-tech workforce needed for REACH.

Vertical in 2027

Officials began talking publicly about the venture in early 2024.  To ensure viability of the project, Nebraska Defense Research Corp. (NDRC) and involved parties had to be on the same page, Johnson said. Just recently, a letter of intent regarding the REACH space was signed by NDRC and the Prairie Hill Farm Area Development Authority, a nonprofit that includes Bellevue officials and will own and manage the larger project site.

“Now that we have the tenant nailed down we can move forward with the actual site development,” Johnson said Monday.

Ground work should begin this year, he said, preparing for vertical construction in early 2027 and occupancy 18 months later.

Once people see “dirt moving,” Johnson anticipates more private and public sector tenants and developers to fuel subsequent phases.

The first phase is expected to generate up to 150 jobs, with projections indicating another 150 jobs later.

“This is an important achievement that has been years in the making,” said Jim Ristow, Bellevue city administrator who also chairs the Prairie Hill authority. “We are very excited to be moving forward on bringing high-paying jobs for our Nebraska graduates.”

Advocates have called the planned campus rare and said they foresee it thrusting Nebraska into the forefront of national security efforts. They think it also will be a catalyst for commercial growth in the state’s third most populous city, just south of Omaha. 

Bellevue officials said they foresee more than $125 million in annual economic value for the state.

‘Critical enabler’

The REACH facility will be custom built for the NDRC, which is to assemble a tenant mix. Earlier projections put the REACH complex at 200,000 square feet, but Johnson said design and dimensions have changed and are still being refined.

Partners said the facility will allow businesses and researchers to work alongside StratCom, the Department of War and allied agencies.

Jerry “Indy” Gandy, NDRC chief executive, called REACH a “critical enabler” that will help his team bring cybersecurity and other technology to market in support of the StratCom mission and to help the U.S. maintain its competitive advantage.

“We have an unwavering dedication and proactive approach to the national defense landscape,” Gandy said. NDRC is a nonprofit formed around 2021 and affiliated with the University of Nebraska system. 

Johnson said the federal government likely will provide roughly $16 million in security elements for the facility. The city of Bellevue contributed farmland for the project site and will install roadwork.

Maureen Larsen, director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, said REACH supports the work of Offutt Air Force Base and national security and defense capabilities.

“It will also help generate great career opportunities in the defense and intelligence industries here in Nebraska,” Larsen said in a statement. 

A spokesman for developer Burlington Capital previously said that over time and in phases, the Prairie Hill campus could expand to as large as 200 acres. 

“The project will complement the incredible growth the city is leading along the Highway 75 and 34 corridor,” said Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike.