Nebraska Medicine

[Doctor Fate]

The article says this new 400 ft building would in-part replace Clarkson Tower. Do we know if that would be demolished and replaced or just repurposed?

My understanding is that Clarkson would be demolished at some point down the road.

Ah ok, that’s the impression I got too.

[S.O.Boy]

Activity is picking up a bit in the old steel plant. There is some light construction equipment on site and it looks like they are cleaning out any unusable scrap and junk.

It is looking very nice.

[Athomsfere]

Holy |expletive|.

How is it going to be 400 feet tall but only 15 stories above ground? That's more than 25 feet per floor. Even if it's counting all of the floors that's still 20 feet per.

Doesn't that make sense though. A lot of extra venting and other mechanicals for a hospital, correct?

[Doctor Fate]

On Grow Omaha Trenton said that he thought the new building would end up being 300 ft, though he didn't give any reasoning as to why.

[CapitalGuy]

I wonder if the article was not written exactly correctly and the 400 feet was from the lowest level above grade to the top. Although, that would be a strange way to describe a building's height.

[Doctor Fate]

I wonder if the article was not written exactly correctly and the 400 feet was from the lowest level above grade to the top. Although, that would be a strange way to describe a building's height.

The 380 to 400 ft height was from a quote from Jennie Bartholomew, UNMC’s associate vice chancellor for facilities. I assume she was talking above ground.

[Hawkeye]

I wonder if the article was not written exactly correctly and the 400 feet was from the lowest level above grade to the top. Although, that would be a strange way to describe a building's height.

The 380 to 400 ft height was from a quote from Jennie Bartholomew, UNMC’s associate vice chancellor for facilities. I assume she was talking above ground.

Maybe they meant 400' wide.

[Doctor Fate]

The regents voted today to approve the new tower for Project Health and President Gold had a 3D model of the tower that they showed the regents off screen. Jennie Bartholomew, UNMC’s associate vice chancellor for facilities, said they had just under a $1 billion in committed private funding already. They had a student regent discuss the need for this new facility and why Clarkson Tower is no longer feasible to use for students. This passed unanimously.

[skinzfan23]

The regents voted today to approve the new tower for Project Health and President Gold had a 3D model of the tower that they showed the regents off screen. Jennie Bartholomew, UNMC’s associate vice chancellor for facilities, said they had just under a $1 billion in committed private funding already. They had a student regent discuss the need for this new facility and why Clarkson Tower is no longer feasible to use for students. This passed unanimously.

Great to hear...what is the timetable for the building again? It is my understanding that it might be into the next decade easily before its complete (2033), is that correct?

[almighty_tuna]

a 3D model of the tower that they showed the regents off screen.

There's gotta be a pic of that somewhere!!

Jennie Bartholomew, UNMC’s associate vice chancellor for facilities, said they had just under a $1 billion in committed private funding already.

Wow, that's a hella pile of cash

[Doctor Fate]

The regents voted today to approve the new tower for Project Health and President Gold had a 3D model of the tower that they showed the regents off screen. Jennie Bartholomew, UNMC’s associate vice chancellor for facilities, said they had just under a $1 billion in committed private funding already. They had a student regent discuss the need for this new facility and why Clarkson Tower is no longer feasible to use for students. This passed unanimously.

Great to hear...what is the timetable for the building again? It is my understanding that it might be into the next decade easily before its complete (2033), is that correct?

This Grow Omaha article said that site prep could begin in December 2024 with foundational work beginning in May 2025. In the board meeting several regents emphasized the need to move faster with this project.

[skinzfan23]

Sorry, thanks for pointing that out...I read it quickly and missed it last week.

[Doctor Fate]

I’m confused if this approve was just for the $50 million design phase or for the whole project? I think it was for the whole thing but not sure….

[skinzfan23]

I am confused too, the way I read it, they approved to move forward which would start with the $50 Million design but it is a little vague about the rest of the details. Obviously we know what the goal is though and hopefully they can start construction on the tower next year.

[ita]

I’m confused if this approve was just for the $50 million design phase or for the whole project? I think it was for the whole thing but not sure….

My understanding, is that the $50 million will pay for design services, including engineering, design, and project management services, to get to the validation stage of the project which will nail down the project budget and ultimate project scope. Per the application, they will move forward with ground work and foundation work while they engage in the design of the project. Once they get to the validation stage, they will need to get additional approval to spend public and private funds to spend on the construction phase of the project. At that point, they should have finalized designs to present to the board. That's my understanding of the process.

[almighty_tuna]

The new facility will replace areas inside the Hixson-Lied Center and the Clarkson Hospital Tower, the primary acute care teaching hospital built in 1955. It's limited by ceiling height, making it unsuitable for some modern medical equipment.

Well, there ya go; extreme floor height explained.

[Doctor Fate]

I am confused too, the way I read it, they approved to move forward which would start with the $50 Million design but it is a little vague about the rest of the details. Obviously we know what the goal is though and hopefully they can start construction on the tower next year.

Yeah I am very hopeful site prep will start in Dec. it sounds like they want to get this going as soon as possible too.

[Greg S]

Outside of the $50 million , is the rest of the funding in place? What's the source of this funding?

[Doctor Fate]

Outside of the $50 million , is the rest of the funding in place? What's the source of this funding?

Jennie Bartholomew said in the Regent meeting that they can just under $1 billion in committed private funds already. Didn't say sources. The $50 million comes from existing philanthropic funds.

One another note, the video in this article has an image on the early rendering.

[skinzfan23]

Like the look of it, not perfectly symmetrical like so many other buildings in Omaha are. I think this could really stand out if completed that way. The only down side is that it isn't up on a hill like the Elmwood Tower, but at nearly 400 ft it will make a huge impact.

[ita]

Outside of the $50 million , is the rest of the funding in place? What's the source of this funding?

Jennie Bartholomew said in the Regent meeting that they can just under $1 billion in committed private funds already. Didn't say sources. The $50 million comes from existing philanthropic funds.

One another note, the video in this article has an image on the early rendering.

Nice catch! That building looks like a monster compared to everything else around it. It dwarfs the cancer center and Durham research towers, which are decent sized mid-rises. Wow.

[Louie]

Wow, this will really bookend the urban cores from UNMC (and even Elmwood tower) all the way to the taller main core Downtown.

[mcarch]

It's not too bad. The only thing I'm worried about is Saddle Creek Road. It already floods during a rain. I wish the city would have moved forward years ago with moving it.

Has anything been said about what will be done with the old Clarkson since they'll be moving things from there and Lied? Also, will they be adding any towers to support residences instead of buying up older homes/tearing them down and building 3-5 floor apartment buildings?

[Athomsfere]

Wowza. That thing is huge. That footprint was unexpected.

[ita]

It's not too bad. The only thing I'm worried about is Saddle Creek Road. It already floods during a rain. I wish the city would have moved forward years ago with moving it.

Has anything been said about what will be done with the old Clarkson since they'll be moving things from there and Lied? Also, will they be adding any towers to support residences instead of buying up older homes/tearing them down and building 3-5 floor apartment buildings?

Per the agenda materials, possession of Clarkson will be turned over to the owners, Clarkson Regional Health. They will, consider what they will do with it.

[laserdisque]

There is what looks like a five story elevator shaft being built on the vacant land between the the innovation hub and the Fox 42 building. I don't think that it is the office building because that land is further north on Farnam. Did I miss a press release on this?

[MadJack]

There is what looks like a five story elevator shaft being built on the vacant land between the the innovation hub and the Fox 42 building. I don't think that it is the office building because that land is further north on Farnam. Did I miss a press release on this?

That's a parking garage

[Brad]

Apparently Don and Millies will be a parking garage too..

[Louie]

Wow!

[stormchaser]

What a massive building!

[CapitalGuy]

Cool design but unless the scaling is distorted, it does appear to be closer to 300' than 400'.

[Garrett]

Cool design but unless the scaling is distorted, it does appear to be closer to 300' than 400'.

Maybe the height is relative to Saddle Creek?

[Louie]

Cool design but unless the scaling is distorted, it does appear to be closer to 300' than 400'.

Maybe the height is relative to Saddle Creek?

I'd say it still showing a 300 foot render based off of Saddle Creek.

[Garrett]

Perhaps since they’re so early in the process we don’t really have a final design yet and this is more so a massing concept? Trying to figure out where the 400 ft is coming from but yeah this definitely doesn’t look like that.

[ita]

My rough measurements from Google Earth puts the Buffett Cancer Center at 170 feet tall. From the bottom of the tower on Dewey, it looks roughly double the height of the BCC, so that's about 350 (adding a little for the roof access). Then there are the lower levels adjacent to Saddle Creek, maybe an additional 20 feet or so. I think it's pretty close. Looking forward to seeing how tall this ends up being. Anything over 300 is a massive win for height obsessed club.

[skinzfan23]

The Lied Center in the background is 230ft tall for reference.

[Renovator2559]

They mentioned that the building would be 1.2Msf and 15 floors. And since hospitals have high ceiling requirements, it will be quite a building.

[Louie]

Sample testing was being done yesterday on site.

[Doctor Fate]

Sample testing was being done yesterday on site.

Does soil testing mean site prep is officially underway?

[Brad]

Grow Omaha is reporting the tower crane went up for the Admin Building.