Center Street campus OK'd as part of busy regent agenda

LINCOLN - The regents approved requesting designs for the University Life Complex Phase II as well as several other initiatives on Friday.The University Life Complex will be located on the Center Street campus, located near 68th and Spring streets on the former Chili Greens Golf Course property. It is expected to house soccer, baseball and softball fields as well as a recreation field.

The first phase of the project was the acquisition of land, renovations and creating three multipurpose fields. The second phase, approved by the regents on Friday, is the design and construction of team fields, a concourse, recreation fields and site infrastructure, including utilities, bike paths and an access road.

The second phase will be funded with $945,000 from private sources.

The regents also approved a $3 million increase to the budget for Mammel Hall, the new home for the College of Business Administration on the Pacific Street campus adjacent to the Peter Kiewit Institute. The increase covers design enhancements and higher construction material costs.

The first of three financial commitments from the University of Nebraska to the Department of Administrative Services for the acquisition of State Fair Park for UNL's Innovation Campus was also made. The regents certified a $7.5 million appropriation by Oct. 1, and will have to commit to an accumulated $14.5 million by Feb. 1, 2009, and the final sum of $21.5 million by July 1, 2009.

The appropriation made sure the regents complied with Legislative Bill 1116, which the Nebraska Legislature passed to approve the transfer of the park to the university.

In other business, the regents:

- Began actions that could lead to eminent domain proceedings in the acquisition of property of 813 West 25th Street through 825 West 25th Street as well as 800 Block West 26th Street to address traffic safety and traffic flow issues.

- Approved the naming of the University of Nebraska Medical Center's College of Public Health building the "Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health," making an exception to naming policies;

- Amended a policy specifying where the regents' medal could be awarded. Previously, the medal was supposed to be presented during a commencement ceremony, but Charles W. Durham was awarded the inaugural medal in April 2007 at the Omaha Country Club during a private ceremony.

- Revised policy pertaining to the requirements for the Tuition Assistance Program to read "meet university annual guidelines with respect to financial need." Previously, applicants needed to be a recipient of a Pell grant.

- Created a masters of science in construction through UNL at the Charles W. Durham School of Architecture Engineering and Construction at the Peter Kiewit Institute;

- Established a UNMC Center for Transplantation Medicine to help education, trailing, support and development for transplant-related research as well as promoting clinical enterprise.

- Funded a $17.5 million UNMC College of Nursing facility in at 40th and Holdrege streets on UNL's East Campus in Lincoln.

- Received a report that the Criss Library garden and the International Quilt Study Center garden at UNL will be named the "Marion E. and Barbara B. Tritsch Gardens," after Barbara B. Tritsch gave a substantial gift to the NU Foundation that was used to create the gardens.

The regents next meet on Nov. 7 at Varner Hall in Lincoln.