University Nebraska-Lincoln to develop new housing and retail space pending approval - WOWT

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has announced a new $175 million development that will provide much-needed housing and retail space for the area.

KOLN reports that developers believe the space located at 2100 Vine Street can house around 1,000 people in the Unity Commons development.

The space is currently being used as a stationing area for construction projects.

“We got to thinking about how to best use this property going forward. What’s the best interest of the university, what’s the best interest of the community?”

KOLN reports the Unity Commons is expected to house international students and provide senior living with the possibility of providing assisted living or memory care opportunities.

“When we broke down the actual numbers of the type of housing and the type of things that are actually needed in the community, we felt like there was a need for more senior housing.”

Currently, there are seven Big-10 schools that have a senior living partnership like the one proposed in Lincoln. The development also makes room for retail opportunities.

“Different cultures want different amenities... What we plan on doing is creating unique spaces that will ring to the cultures in the community,” said Woodbury.

KOLN reports the university bought the former Textron lot in 2003 for $5.9 million and that they’re excited to find a use for it, as well as connecting city campus to the Whittier and Prem Paul buildings.

“It builds some life, activity scale and enhances the neighborhood as well as the city. There is a lot of excitement about how we can use the university as an intellectual epicenter, to also bridge this senior living center and the occupants of that.”

The university told KOLN that close proximity to the core of campus is a cultural amenity that will hopefully draw in renters.

The development plan will head to the Board of Regents for approval which is expected to happen in early 2022.

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University Nebraska-Lincoln to develop new housing and retail space pending approval - WOWT
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