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The Nebraska Innovation Campus is a public/private research campus being developed by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. It is located in Lincoln, Nebraska on the 249-acre (1.01 km) site of the old Nebraska State Fair grounds.

Its purpose is "To encourage and incent the greatest amount of private/public research and economic development on this property thus allowing this site to become a preferred location for significant job creation in Lincoln and the State of Nebraska."

The project is managed by the Nebraska Innovation Campus Development Corporation and is overseen by a nine-member board of directors appointed by the University Regents. From 2018-2023, Robert G. Wilhelm led the Nebraska Innovation Campus as the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at UNL. The first projects will be related to agriculture and natural resources.

The project was made possible by a 2008 state law which moved the Nebraska State Fair to Grand Island and turned the old state fairgrounds over to the university. Several citizens filed a legal challenge to the law, contending that it "created a special benefit" for some of the groups and people involved in the plan. However, in May 2010 the Nebraska Supreme Court rejected those arguments and upheld an earlier dismissal of the lawsuit. There was also an attempt to overturn the state law by referendum, but the petition drive failed to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

All of the State Fair buildings were to be demolished except the Arsenal and 4-H buildings, which were be remodeled and transformed into a focal point for the research campus. A group of activists attempted to save the 97-year-old Industrial Arts Building from demolition, and the Regents gave them until July 2010 to find a way to renovate and keep the building. One Wisconsin company submitted a bid to restore and renovate the building, but the university rejected it in August 2010 as too expensive. Later, the university approved a plan to repurpose the Industrial Arts Building, which included the addition of greenhouse space on the second floor. The Ice Box, an ice hockey arena on the former fairgrounds, was also spared from demolition; it is currently leased to the Lincoln Stars for use until 2031, after which time the city of Lincoln has recommended it also be razed and redeveloped.

References

1. Schreiber, Danny (June 7, 2010). "UNL's Innovation Campus set to facilitate collaboration". Silicon Prairie News.
2. Nebraska Innovation Campus website
3. Abourezk, Kevin (April 16, 2010). "NU puts face on Innovation Campus". Lincoln Journal-Star.
4. Washburn, Ashley. "Wilhelm assumes vice chancellor post May 15". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Office of Research & Economic Development. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
5. Myers, Alicia (January 15, 2010). "Nebraska Innovation Campus to Begin with Agriculture". KOLN. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011.
6. Funk, Josh (January 31, 2010). "Nebraska Supreme Court to hear case against State Fair move". Lincoln Journal-Star.
7. "State Supreme Court approves State Fair's move". Grand Island Independent. May 29, 2010.
8. "Innovation Campus Referendum". Nebraska Board of Regents. June 13, 2008. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010.
9. "State Fair Petition Drive Fails To Get Necessary Signatures". Nebraska Pulse. September 4, 2008. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012.
10. "Clock Ticking for Condemned State Fair Building". KETV. March 30, 2010. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012.
11. Abourezk, Kevin (July 1, 2010). "Wisconsin company bids to renovate Industrial Arts Building". Lincoln Journal-Star.
12. Hall, Terra (August 10, 2010). "UNL Rejects Only Development Proposal for Industrial Arts Building". KOLN. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011.
13. Bartling, Kelly (January 5, 2012). "Today@UNL - Industrial Arts Building redesign to feature greenhouses" (Press release). University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
14. "Nebraska Innovation Campus (NIC) Redevelopment Plan" (PDF). City of Lincoln. September 8, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2024.

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