OMAHA — A roughly 30-acre area just west of the main University of Nebraska Medical Center campus has a lot going on, including a sprawling innovation hub and a six-story research and office building under construction.

It now has a new name: the EDGE District.

The name for the developing site west of Saddle Creek Road near Farnam Street was revealed Thursday during a news media event that featured a video and remarks from area academic, government and business leaders.

Dele Davies, UNMC interim chancellor, said the name is not only a nod to the fact that the area is on the edge of the campus. The acronym stands for Explore, Develop, Grow, Engage.

“It represents that UNMC wants to be on the leading edge in all areas of our missions,” Davies said.

UNMC owns much of the property of the triangle-shaped district, which is bordered roughly by Saddle Creek Road on the east; 48th Street on the west; and Farnam/Douglas Streets on the north. The medical center has long been amassing parcels around its main campus. UNMC-related development west of Saddle Creek Road also has been going on for years, but until Thursday the district has not had a name.

Anne Barnes, UNMC vice chancellor for business, finance and business development, called the district a place where “people can work, create, discover and also play.”

She lauded unique aspects, noting that the 170,000-square-foot Catalyst innovation hub, which retains the 1906 shell of a steel plant, is where creative medical and other startups will be incubated and housed.

Also rising on the site is the Campus Operations and Research Excellence (CORE) facility that will support computer-based research and wet lab-based research for drug discovery, oncology and other strategic areas.

A 750-stall parking garage will be owned by the City of Omaha. Several possibilities are under consideration to “wrap” the parking structure with dining, retail, residences, green spaces and other amenities. Details first require approval from the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

UNMC’s EDGE District intends to build upon Omaha’s already strong startup industry by providing a place for health-focused entrepreneurs to grow, Barnes said.

It is part of UNMC’s quest, she said, to establish a local, national and international reputation.

Alec Gorynski, senior vice president at the Greater Omaha Chamber, described the area as a defining point of the western edge of Omaha’s urban core.

That urban core, he said, is “where people and business and entertainment and culture collide to just create this really vibrant exciting place that serves as a magnet for individuals.”

Dr. Jeffrey Gold spoke at the event, noting that it was his 101st day as president of the entire NU system. He had served as chancellor at UNMC since 2014, during an era of rapid expansion.

Gold told the group gathered outside Thursday that equally as critical as UNMC’s cutting-edge research, workforce development and patient care is economic development.

He said the newly named district represents that the university does not work alone and is reliant on partnerships with government and private industry and developers.

“EDGE District will not only be a place where innovation and discovery take place, it also will provide infrastructure so that we’re able to take those developments to market right here, instead of losing start-up companies to the Coasts or other locations,” Gold said.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/new-edge-district-seen-as-giving-oma...