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The current OPPD facility is outlined in yellow in this aerial photo of the UNMC campus. The land would become part of the campus should the proposed purchase of the land be approved by the Board of Regents. |
The regents will be asked to approve two letters of intent and a real estate purchase agreement, said Don Leuenberger, UNMC vice chancellor for business and finance.
Under the proposal, UNMC would take possession of approximately 10 acres of property and buildings now owned and occupied by OPPD on the southwest edge of the UNMC campus near the intersection of Emile Street and Saddle Creek Road.
The area would provide UNMC with the space needed to construct a new cancer research tower as well as additional parking.
UNMC has identified a 10.5 acre site northwest of Eppley Airfield that it would purchase for approximately $1.3 million, pending approval of the Board of Regents.
This site would then be transferred to OPPD, and a new OPPD facility would be built on the site to replace the existing power district facility near the UNMC campus.
The land purchase and new OPPD facility would be paid for by UNMC in exchange for the existing OPPD property.
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Donald Leuenberger |
The new OPPD facility would be comparable to the existing facility, which is called the Omaha Service Center and houses about 100 employees.
“This would be a win-win proposition for UNMC and OPPD, and it ties in perfectly with our future campus plans,” Leuenberger said. “It provides UNMC with the land it badly needs for expansion of its research enterprise, while providing OPPD with a brand new service center in a location that will allow the energy company to continue to have strategic access to its customers.
“Having a campus that is essentially landlocked, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to assume the site presently occupied by OPPD. This will allow us to grow, while utilizing space that is contiguous to the present UNMC campus. This growth should greatly enhance Nebraska’s economic development through the creation of hundreds of new research jobs.”
Leuenberger praised OPPD for working with UNMC on this exchange.
“OPPD understands completely our needs for expansion,” he said. “We can’t thank them enough for giving us this opportunity.”
If the Board of Regents approves the two letters of intent and the real estate purchase agreement, Leuenberger said there will be a six-month period to allow for all the details of the exchange to be consummated.
This will allow for due diligence to be conducted on the property as well as developing a formal agreement between UNMC and OPPD for the exchange.
In addition, an estimated cost of the new facility can be determined during this time frame.
If all goes according to plan, Leuenberger said the transition could take place by mid 2009 or early 2010. OPPD would continue to maintain some presence near the UNMC campus.
OPPD’s Energy Control Center will remain as well as the facility that houses OPPD’s Communications and Metering Services.