Leaders at Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) unveiled early plans to elevate the med center campus’ clinical care and research with the construction of a new, state-of-the-art facility, scheduled to take shape over the next decade.

The project, which currently doesn’t have an official name, could consist of several new buildings to be constructed on the northwest corner of the current medical center campus. Buildings in the complex could include one or more new towers for research and inpatient care, which would consolidate care in one location and replace older facilities, some of which are more than 70 years old.

Strategic investments would also allow this facility to be a hub for expanding clinical trials and enrollment, new educational technologies, and to become a magnet for medical tourists.

The public-private partnership between the medical center, the public sector, and the private sector may lead to new opportunities to collaborate with the federal government. This type of collaboration could develop space, which would normally serve as inpatient care, which could also be available to treat military and civilian federal employees in times of national or global need.

As the project is still in its infancy, specific costs will be established as it takes shape. Early estimates project that costs could be in the range of $1 to $2 billion depending on scope, a figure that is in line with other prominent academic medical center projects nationally. Architectural renderings and program specifics for the facility are not yet available.