LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska senator wants to build up Nebraska’s riverfronts as social and economic hubs.

Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha introduced a bill Thursday that would allow Nebraska towns and cities to establish special development districts along the state’s major rivers.

Mello says many Nebraska cities were established along riverfronts, but have since grown away from the banks, leaving blight and abandoned properties behind.

The bill would establish guidelines for cities to fund, manage, promote and develop these areas, based on recommendations from a 2014 Urban Development report. The report called for strategic development to link Omaha and Council Bluffs across the Missouri River.

Mello says the bill is a pathway for Nebraska to build the Omaha-Council Bluffs riverfront into a world-class destination.