By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – The excitement level grows each time Michael Christen visits the University Village site.
With construction of the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s new Regional Engagement Center in the homestretch, he can envision the opportunities this 52,000-square-foot facility will bring to campus, the community and central Nebraska.
“It’s exciting every time we go over to see the progress, watching the vision for the Regional Engagement Center come together in physical form,” said Christen, director of business services at UNK and executive director of the University Village development. “But more importantly, I’m excited about us being able to move to that next step past construction – the opportunities with programming and engagement that represent the true mission of this building.”
A public-private partnership, the Regional Engagement Center will connect people across the state, serving as a hub for business, education and community development in greater Nebraska. The $15.6 million project features upscale, technology-rich office and meeting spaces that will bring new businesses and organizations to Kearney while complementing the university’s academic activities.
Chief Industries, Allo Fiber, Olsson, Wilkins Architecture Design Planning and Lutz will all call the building home as private tenants leasing office space there. The UNK Alumni Association and University of Nebraska Foundation are relocating to the building, as well.
“We could not be more thrilled with the way the Engagement Center is coming together. For our team, the space will allow us to work even more effectively as a unit and to collaborate with our many partners in ways we never have before,” said Lucas Dart, vice president of UNK alumni relations and development for the University of Nebraska Foundation.
“We’ve been planning for this move for so long, it’s almost hard to believe we are not far away from our new home.”
The Regional Engagement Center is scheduled to open in late April or early May, starting with the spaces dedicated to university use. An open house is planned for May 7. Private businesses are expected to move in throughout the summer and into the fall.
In addition to the office spaces, the Regional Engagement Center will serve as a cutting-edge venue for meetings, workshops and other campus and community events. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents already plans to meet there in October, and Christen expects to see increased interest from businesses, nonprofits and government entities once the space is available.
The center will also be an educational resource, hosting training seminars and programs that support workforce development and fill a need in central and western Nebraska.
“We have a lot of programs on campus – or programs we could create on campus – that would serve school districts, businesses and communities in a unique way,” Christen said.
Located just south of U.S. Highway 30, the Regional Engagement Center is a cornerstone for the entire University Village development, a 104-acre site that combines educational, residential, commercial and recreational opportunities within a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood.
The Element 30 housing project, Ernest Grundy Tennis Center, Plambeck Early Childhood Education Center and UNK’s Village Flats apartments are all part of the development, along with the Nebraska Medicine cancer center currently under construction. UNK is partnering with Woodbury Corporation, a Salt Lake City-based real estate development and management company, on the Regional Engagement Center project.
“The Regional Engagement Center is a huge asset for UNK and the University Village site,” Christen said. “It’s really expanding on our mission of bringing students, the community, the campus and our entire state together in a collaborative manner.”
PHOTOS BY ERIKA PRITCHARD, UNK COMMUNICATIONS
