The University Nebraska Board of Regents this week will review a request from the University of Nebraska Medical Center to approve spending $50 million of existing philanthropic funds to pay design costs for Phase 1, named “Project Health,” of the UNMC NExT.
If approved, UNMC would move forward with designing an estimated $2.19 billion project to replace aging and antiquated medical facilities and add additional needed space to meet modern medical facility standards. UNMC seeks to replace Clarkson Tower as its primary acute care training facility and relieve additional space from Lied Transplant Center, Hixson-Lied Center for Clinical Excellence and others.
A cutaway elevation of the hospital shows that it could potentially be an 18-20 story tower. The Omaha World Herald reported that the current estimated height of the building could be around 380 to 400 feet, which would make it the tallest habitable structure outside of downtown Omaha and the city’s fourth-tallest building overall. The application indicates that the total gross square footage will be 1,267,818 sq. ft. and will house 556 hospital beds.
The project would move forward in phases to allow design changes an “off ramps.” Site preparation may start as early as December of this year. The next phase would be foundational work and could start in May 2025. A cost validation phase could begin in December 2025. The following phases of core construction and fit-out would be scheduled thereafter, but anticipated opening could occur in 2033.
Renovation and renewal of existing facilities were considered. There would be significant savings with estimated costs totaling $1.27 to $1.64 billion. However, the timeline would range from 11 to 22 years and result in significant disruption to medical services and training.
The Board of Regents will review the application on August 8.
Photo by Brad Williams
