Over the course of Lincoln’s history, few undertakings have garnered the interest, attention, enthusiasm, and ire of citizens like the West Haymarket Redevelopment Project. Viewed by some as Lincoln’s monumental step into the future and by others as a historical civic misstep, the undertaking has served as one of Lincoln’s ‘hottest’ hot-button issues. Consequently, following the May 2010 passing of the arena bond issue, the West Haymarket JPA committed to making the West Haymarket Redevelopment Project the most transparent project in Lincoln’s history.
Thought District, a local advertising firm, brought that commitment to fruition with the creation of the HaymarketNOW! website. Assisting the West Haymarket JPA under the official role of Marketing Consultant, Thought District is responsible for the creation and continuation of the HaymarketNOW! website and Facebook page.
Founded in 2003, Thought District is a Lincoln-based brand and sales strategy company specializing in the creation, composition and revitalization of brands. The company’s client list includes a variety of local and national brands including Lincoln Industries, James Arthur Vineyards, Complete Nutrition, HobbyTown USA, and Smeal Fire Apparatus.
Eric Dinger, founder and CEO, is responsible for Thought District’s involvement in the project. “[NU Regent] Tim Clare and I were having coffee one morning and he asked for any ideas that I might have for creating transparency on a project such as this. Collectively, we decided on a website…we felt a website would be most effective in that new project information can be regularly—and promptly—uploaded for public consumption. In other words, a website would create a virtual diary of the project.”
“We [the West Haymarket JPA and Thought District] want all the information pertaining to the project to be ready and available on the site. We want it to be an informative resource for citizens and newsmakers looking for information, photos or documents…it’s all there. If something goes right, I hope it goes there. If something goes wrong, I hope it goes there. The best of intentions are there to make this project as transparent as possible.”
In discussing his firm’s involvement in the project, Dinger was pleased with the work that had been done thus far and is excited for the news and activities that are sure to come in the following months. “It’s nice to be part of something that’s really exciting. Everybody in our office is fairly young, with young families, and having an entertainment option like the West Haymarket Arena is important to us…so, we’re happy and proud to be a part of this project.”
A creative and outgoing group, Thought District is located on the ninth floor of the Federal Trust Building at the corner of 13th and N. If you have a question about the West Haymarket project, or if you just want to spend 20 minutes playing foosball, stop by and they’ll be glad to help. If you would prefer email, try us at info@haymarketnow.com and we can pass any questions along.
-HaymarketNOW!
