Monday, Jul. 19, 2010

Industrial Arts listing advances

By the Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, July 15, 2010 7:00 p.m.

Lincoln's Historic Preservation Commission threw its support Thursday behind efforts to place an almost century-old building at the former state fairgrounds on the National Register of Historic Places.

A resolution of support for listing of the Industrial Arts Building passed despite opposition from the University of Nebraska, which is converting the fairgrounds into a research setting called Innovation Campus.

Bill Nunez, NU's director of Institutional Research and Public Planning, offered critical remarks at the commission meeting even as the university considers a proposal to convert the structure into a business incubator setting.

"We find it perplexing," Nunez said, "that a building that sat abandoned for many years, allowed to fall into a state of significant disrepair, and lacked any preservation interest during the time it was in the hands of the State Fair Board, would be so passionately supported now when in the hands of the University."

NU officials have yet to reveal when they might act on the renovation proposal.

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