One of Lincoln’s longtime families, the Hoppes, are stepping up and meeting a challenge by Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and a need they identified in recent years to provide more affordable housing for Lincoln.
Fred, John and Jake Hoppe transitioned from running the family lumber yard to actually constructing a number of projects in Lincoln and other parts of the state. Jake is the newest addition to the family business, and he’s taking advantage of a broad understanding of how Lincoln works based on his participation in Youth Leadership Lincoln a number of years ago.
Jake headed to Minnesota for college, then to Denver for a job, to Boston for graduate school, on to San Francisco for another job … but along the way he always wanted to return to Lincoln because of our great family values. He met Lauren in college (she’s from Chicago), reconnected when they were in Denver, married her and now they have two kids – Ada, who’s nearly a year and a half, and Frankie, who’s 5. They moved to Lincoln just before Ada was born.
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“Minnesota, Colorado, Massachusetts, California … and I always felt like a visitor. So returning to Nebraska was literally feeling like I belonged here,” Jake shared when asked why he returned to Lincoln. “Nebraska is so family oriented, and it’s good to be home.” He’s now helping meet Lincoln’s (and Nebraska’s for that matter) need for affordable housing.
“I’m working with Hoppe Development alongside dad (Fred) and Uncle John,” he said. “We’re working to help Lincoln and other communities across Nebraska provide affordable housing. We have a project under construction in the Telegraph District, and we just received City Council approval for another housing project near 36th and Vine.”
Jake added, “Getting involved in the city is part of the DNA of my family. My mom (Barbara Hoppe) helped start the Bright Lights program in 1987.”
Today that Bright Lights program offers elementary and middle school students summer learning opportunities. Dad Fred has been involved in affordable housing for a number of years, not just in Lincoln but across the state.
“One thing I learned from both of them, and my involvement in Youth Leadership Lincoln, is that if you show up and you say you’re interested, you’re encouraged to get involved.”
When asked about Youth Leadership Lincoln, Jake shared that he was in the third group of high school sophomores that participated nearly 20 years ago. “That was a real growing and learning experience for me,” he noted. “We grew to understand how the community works, and through that understanding, we could identify how we could plug in and make a difference.”
Lauren Hoppe is loving her adopted hometown as well. She’s an accomplished dance performer and teacher, and serves as a resident dance instructor at UNL, and still is involved in some programs in California, although travel the past year has been a challenge. And if raising two daughters, building affordable housing and helping two academic dance programs weren’t enough, Jack and Lauren have adopted a refugee family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“When we moved back from California,” noted Jake, “we wanted to get involved in serving others. So we contacted Lutheran Family Services, and we’ve been helping a family with four children get acclimated to Lincoln.”
Jake and Lauren have helped the mother of this family pass her Certified Nursing Assistant exam. They helped get the father a job, and they regularly spend time with the family to help them feel welcome.
As for what Jake thinks makes Lincoln tick, “We were welcomed and felt at home almost from the beginning. People in Lincoln are very warm and are ready to help. Like I said, if you see a need, you can do something to take care of it. You don’t need to stand around and ask permission. I’m glad I came back. Lauren is really plugging in and making friends, and I feel good about helping provide affordable housing.”
Check out new construction in Lincoln
Lincoln Airport

Expansion construction project continues at Lincoln Airport on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021.
Bryan East renovation

Three new cardiovascular surgical suites were completed as part of the third phase of the Bryan East Campus renovation in October.
Scarlet Hotel

Construction work continues on the exterior of the Scarlet Hotel on Oct. 19 at Nebraska Innovation Campus. The 154-room hotel will have a roughly 2,600-square-foot first floor that will include education space, a student lounge, conference room and faculty offices. Among the other features of the $31 million project are a full-service restaurant, rooftop bar, coffee shop and a fitness center. The Marriott Tribute property was originally scheduled to open in July, but the hotel's website says it's now set to open in February 2022.
Tabitha's intergenerational housing community

Tabitha is planning an intergenerational housing community on the southwest corner of 48th and L streets. The 128-unit apartment complex would be home to 100-plus independent older adults and about 20 students enrolled at the nearby Bryan College of Health Sciences.
Stand Bear High School

Construction continues on Standing Bear High School at South 70th Street and Saltillo Road on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021.
Sower

Scaffolding surrounds The Sower, a 19-foot tall bronze statue which represents Nebraska's agricultural heritage, on Sept. 23, 2021, at the Nebraska State Capitol, as part of restoration and repair work which is expected to take 20 weeks. The scaffolding will enclose the entire dome allowing the workers to remove and store any loose gold glazed tile while they replace the water-damaged bed beneath.
Car wash construction

Jet Splash is building a new car wash at 40th and South streets.
Car Wash

Rocket Car Wash next to the Hy-Vee in Williamsburg, which is just southwest of 40th and Old Cheney, is one of two full-service car washes under construction on Sept. 22, 2021.
48th and Leighton

The proposed Comprehensive Plan calls for 25% of the new growth to be inside existing neighborhoods and corridors of the city, like the new apartments being built near 48th and Leighton Avenue.
South Canopy

Apartments under construction at South Canopy and N streets on Sept. 3, 2021.
Mabel Lee Hall

Construction of Mabel Lee Hall at North 14th and Vine streets continues on Sept. 3, 2021.
Walmart garden center

Walmart is demolishing part of the garden center at its store at 8700 Andermatt Drive to install automated order fulfillment towers.
Holiday Inn Express

Exterior of the newly opened Holiday Inn Express & Suites on Thursday, August 13, 2021.
Mourning Hope Grief Center

The new Mourning Hope Grief Center includes space for other nonprofits.
Kiewit Hall

The future site of Kiewit Hall, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's new engineering building set to open in 2023, is seen under construction in late June. Abel and Sandoz residence halls stand in the background.
Lincoln Northwest construction

Construction work continues on Lincoln Northwest High School on Tuesday, May 25, 2021.
South Beltway

The flyover bridge that will connect U.S. 77 to the South Beltway stretches to the southwest as construction work continues on Wednesday, May 12, 2021.
Cooper Park and Park Middle School

Orange construction fencing encloses part of Park Middle School in April 2021 adjacent to South Sixth Street, near where a new entry to the parking lot will be built.
Lied Place Residences

Developers of Lied Place Residences are still working to finalize a tenant for a first-floor restaurant with state-of-the-art air filtration and outdoor café-style seating on Q Street.
VA Clinic

Stairs lead from the lobby to the second floor of the new Lincoln Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic.
Pershing proposals/White Lotus Group/HDR

White Lotus Group and HDR propose a mixed-use community hub for the site it calls Mural, which would combine affordable housing, retail, a wellness center and central library with murals throughout the Pershing Center block.
State office building

A nighttime rendering of the planned State of Nebraska office building at 17th and K streets. The four-story building would have two levels of parking and two floors of office space.
Daq Shaq

This rendering shows what the interior of Daq Shaq at Leighton District will look like. The island-themed restaurant is scheduled to open before the end of the year in the development at 48th Street and Leighton Avenue.
Child Advocacy Center

This rendering shows a plan for a 17,000-square-foot expansion of the Child Advocacy Center in northeast Lincoln that would also become home to the Lincoln Police Department's Special Victims Unit.
Unity Commons

An architect’s rendering shows Unity Commons, a planned mixed-use development, from the intersection of 22nd and Vine streets. The redevelopment of the former Cushman site would include housing for retirees and members of the city's international community, as well as retail and research space.
NE Realty building

A rendering of the Nebraska Realty building in Lincoln. The company's workforce in the Capital City has grown from two agents to more than 200 in the past five years.
Scheels Center

A rendering shows the Scheels Center, a planned 40,000-square-foot addition to Lincoln Christian School.
Tabitha

Tabitha is planning an intergenerational housing community on the southwest corner of 48th and L streets. The 138-unit apartment complex would be home to 100-plus independent older adults and about 20 students enrolled at the nearby Bryan College of Health Sciences.
Union College AdventHealth Complex

A rendering shows the exterior of the planned Union College AdventHealth Complex.
WarHorse casino

Developers of the proposed WarHorse Casino in Lincoln say they are ready to break ground the minute they get a gaming license.
NU training facility

A rendering shows the athlete entry to Nebraska's new training facility, which will open before the 2023 football season.
NorthStar Crossing

An artist's rendering shows plans for NorthStar Crossing, northeast of 27th Street and Folkways Boulevard, which The Lerner Co. says will have its first businesses open in early 2022.
CEDARS expansion

Cedars broke ground in November 2020 and is raising funds for the $3.5 million, 3,800-square-foot expansion of its emergency youth shelter in southeast Lincoln.
North Concourse

A rendering shows plans for a modern terminal concourse at the Lincoln Airport, with food and beverage services and access to restrooms and the Flyers Club available to passengers after clearing security.