College of Business Administration
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UNO puts facilities dreams on paperMore parking, student housing and playing fields are in store for the University of Nebraska at Omaha, if officials have their way. UNO will present its facilities development plan for the next 10 years to the NU Board of Regents on Thursday. The plan is a result of a year's worth of work updating the 1999 facilities plan. "It's where physical needs and strategic goals meet each other," said John Amend, director of facilities management and planning. "It's going to change as opportunities come up." In the plan, UNO outlines future needs for its three locations, on Dodge, Pacific and Center Streets. Chief among them is more parking. The plan calls for two more parking structures at UNO's main campus, on Dodge Street. One would be centrally located and one would be on the west side of the campus. One on the east already exists. The new structures would minimize surface parking and offer an alternative to parking off-campus. Now, some 1,200 students and faculty members park at the nearby Crossroads Mall and take a shuttle to UNO, Amend said. Nearly 2,000 parking spaces are available now at the Pacific Street campus, which is anchored by the Peter Kiewit Institute, and 200 or so should be available at the Center Street location, which is still developing. The plan calls for more surface parking at the Pacific campus to give better access to future buildings. More student housing also is on the horizon. UNO officials envision another 400-bed residence hall at the Dodge campus and 400 to 600 more beds at the Pacific location. At the Center location, housing for married or international students is likely. Recreation and athletic fields also are planned for the Center campus, on 54 acres that used to be the Chili Greens Golf Course. Students also have asked for more recreation space. Officials are looking at adding on to the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building on the main campus. The plan also calls for other changes, including the relocation of the College of Business Administration from the Dodge campus to a new building at the Pacific site. That would free Roskens Hall, which could then be renovated to house the College of Education. Its former home, Kayser Hall, would help house the College of Arts and Sciences. Also on UNO's radar screen is the private development of Aksarben Village between the Center and Pacific properties. Shops, offices and private housing units are planned. Although the board will vote Thursday on the plan, each project will require individual approval. UNO officials will rely on private donations, student fees, state dollars or a combination to finance the projects. Already under way is an addition to the Criss Library, which should be completed by fall, and plans to renovate the rest of the library, which should happen within a year. Also in the works is renovation of the old engineering building, which will house the College of Public Affairs and Community Service. Students, faculty members, administrators and community members helped draft the plan, which was put together by BMW Consulting of Omaha and Urban Design Associates of Pittsburgh. Urban Design is planning Aksarben Village.
Story source: The Omaha World-Herald, Pg. 01B, June 14, 2006
By: Veronica Stickney |
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© 2008 College of Business Administration - University of Nebraska-Omaha    
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