From school closure to waterfront oasis: Chapman shows resilience
CHAPMAN, Neb. — The loss of a school can mean the death of a town. Three years after the Chapman School closed, residents are building a new future in an unlikely place.
“This used to be a cornfield,” Kristina Vlcek said as her husband chuckles.
They laugh because of how absurd it sounds, turning a farm into a gated community with a private lake.
“Things dreams are made of,” Jeremy Vlcek said.
Landscapers Jeremy and Kristina used to doodle housing plans for fun, but in a year's time they've transformed acres of crop ground into waterfront property.
“This is a big version of landscape,” Kristina said with a smile but they’re also remaking the economic landscape of the small town they call home.
“Chapman's a really great place to live and I would like to share that with other people,” she said.
It's been a tough sell since the school closed three years ago.
“The school closing really did hit the town hard, and it is still a hard thing,” she said.
Kristina's mom and brother taught there plus the couple's kids went there. Johnathan Hladik, policy director at the Center for Rural Affairs, said losing a school often hastens a community's decline.
“That is often the death knell, but what we've seen, there are different reasons to go to a community and often recreation is a good draw,” he said.
Like a place to get on the water steps from your backdoor. Eagle View Lake features 38 lots for homes to be built.
“We have six lots sold,” Jeremy said. “Right after it went on the market, six sold right away we have three people ready to build in July, we have power to go in still.”
Many rural communities lack housing options and while these homes will be on the high end, the time may be right.
“What's going to differentiate you that's different. Now with remote work people can move to a rural community and keep a high paying job,” Hladik said.
They pulled together people who know engineering, finance and zoning. Eagle View Lake uncovered the water just below the surface and tapped into a desire to show small towns can do big things.
“Once you lose your school your town's going to go downhill. That was a big driving factor,” Kristina said.
“Got to do something,” Jeremy replied.
“We've always wanted to do this but that gave us the fire to make it happen,” Kristina said.
