Fair Territory: U. of Nebraska Gets Its Research Campus

The University of Nebraska at Lincoln has won its battle for a new research complex. The ambitious Innovation Campus will be built on 250 acres of adjacent land, a major score for the landlocked, urban institution. The challenge for university leaders had been wresting that ideal spot away from the Nebraska State Fair, its tenant for more than a century. Some Nebraska lawmakers initially balked at moving the historic fair, in part over worries about relocation costs. But the university put up $21.5-million to help finance the move, and the state’s legislature and governor, Dave Heineman, approved the deal last month. University officials say they are confident that the new research park will pay off for both the university and the state. James B. Milliken, president of the University of Nebraska system, said in a written statement that Innovation Park would “leverage the impressive research growth of the university for the economic growth of the state.” —Paul Fain