The opportunity to buy an entire square block within a campus’s boundaries is rare.
But Friday, University of Nebraska Medical Center leaders will ask the University of Nebraska Board of Regents to do just that by approving a $2.2 million purchase of 2.83 acres of land owned by Premier Leasing, L.L.C.
The land, located on the east edge of campus and directly south of the Center for Healthy Living, also consists of an industrial building totaling 61,708 square feet, in which they do plastic injection molding under the name of Premier Plastics, Inc.
If approved, Premier Leasing would lease the property back from UNMC for a five-year period with options by either party to terminate the lease after three years.
The block falls within UNMC’s campus master plan and encompasses Leavenworth and Jones streets and 39th and 40th streets. UNMC has leased parking space on the property owned by Premier Leasing since 2000.
Acquiring the property would allow UNMC to gain one square block of space for future warehouse, auxiliary and office space, said Keith Swarts, director of business services at UNMC. “This would allow us to move auxiliary operations out of the core campus to the edge and dedicate the core to education, research and patient care,” he said. Auxiliary operations that could be relocated include mail services, printing services and other warehouse operations, he said.
“To be able to buy one square block within our campus boundaries is unusual,” Swarts said. “This is a prime spot.”
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology, ophthalmology and arthritis. UNMC’s research funding from external sources is now more than $72 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state.