A Shot in the Arm

The opening of Mammel Hall improves the economic and physical health of the Aksarben neighborhood.

Where abandoned horse barns and an empty grandstand once stuck out as eyesores, Mammel Hall now stands, furthering the economic and physical recovery of the Aksarben-area neighborhood.

New home to UNO’s College of Business Administration, Mammel Hall opened this fall and was dedicated Oct. 15. Dr. Louis Pol, CBA dean, says the $41.5 million project “will have a tremendously positive effect” on the economic health of the community.

“This area of the city, the old Aksarben property, has evolved into an exciting mix of business and academics where people are drawn to learn, work, live and shop,” Pol says. “If you recall how this land was proposed as a site for casino gambling, then look around today, it’s easy to see we are the beneficiaries of Ken Stinson, the Aksarben Future Trust, and many other people who shared a vision of something truly valuable.”

Long before its doors opened to business students in August, Mammel Hall “created and supported construction-related jobs at a time when the economy was really struggling,” Pol says. “This building gave really meaningful work to skilled trades people, from those designing the project to those responsible for advancing it.”

Mammel Hall, whose construction was financed entirely by private funds (see sidebar), will be a wellspring of programs and courses that advance partnerships with the Peter Kiewit Institute and other UNO colleges, the Scott Technology Center, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the UNeMED Corporation and the private sector.

Pol says possibilities include a business minor for construction management students and a business certificate program for doctoral and master’s degree students in biosciences. Each program would uniquely incorporate an entrepreneurial capstone project designed to help carry new ideas toward commercialization.

Tom Whalen, vice president of Human Resources and Organizational Development at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska — whose new headquarters is rising near Mammel Hall — says the insurance ?provider is interested in exploring internship opportunities for ?business students.

“It is our belief that we can create and strengthen a relationship ?that will prove mutually beneficial to the school, its students and ?our enterprise,” Whalen says.

Jay Noddle, president of Noddle Companies, the lead developer of Aksarben Village, says the area’s blend of academics and business creates many opportunities.

“When we looked at how we could work CBA and the university into the (Aksarben Village) project, we felt we might be able to facilitate the creation of a place that’s pretty special — one that could become the economic engine for the region for a long time,” Noddle says. “Projects that draw in the academic element are few and far ?between. We saw the opportunity here to really make some magic.”

Dean Pol agrees. “Mammel Hall could be one of the epicenters of the advancement of intellectual property in the region,” he says. ?“I believe the next five years are going to be incredibly exciting.”

The building itself is designed to promote the physical and mental health of the people who study, teach, work and visit there.

Mammel Hall is a model of environmental concern and health-conscious design and operation. It is built to meet standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). For example, low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints and ?carpeting were used to minimize indoor contaminants.

“Data indicate that people who work in ‘healthy’ buildings have fewer work days missed,” Pol says. “That results in a rise in productivity, morale and pride — all factors that contribute to a community’s improved economic health and wellbeing.”

Mammel Hall is anticipated to enhance the city and state’s economic health by: