You don’t have to look far around midtown Omaha to understand why Nebraska Medicine is temporarily relocating one of its helipads. Numerous construction cranes needed to build the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the Lauritzen Outpatient Center, the College of Pharmacy and a new parking structure are making it more difficult to land on the existing helipad near Clarkson Tower, and at times, atop the Durham Outpatient Center.
The parking lot on the southwest corner of Farnam and Saddle Creek (just north of the Russell Speeder car wash) will be temporarily converted into a helipad beginning next week. It’s planned to be open for air traffic on Monday, June 8. The roughly 200 med center staff members using that lot have been reassigned to parking elsewhere on campus.
“Pilots are telling us the wind patterns are changing as a result of the cranes and the height of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center building, it’s getting more challenging for them to land at Clarkson Tower,” said Jen Bartholomew, facilities planning and construction director.
The Clarkson helipad is primarily used for helicopters bringing patients to the med center from other hospitals around the region. The helipad atop the Durham Outpatient Center (DOC) is where the LifeNet helicopter is permanently stationed. In most cases, the LifeNet base helicopter will continue to use the DOC helipad, but in times of rough weather or other special circumstances, it also may land at the new temporary location. Nebraska Medicine will have an ambulance on standby 24/7 at the new helipad to quickly bring patients to the hospital after they land.
This site will be used for approximately two years until the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center building is completed. It will have two helipads on top and the DOC pad will eventually become the alternate location.
Absolutely ridiculous that I have to pay more each month to park further away.
I know this is not your decision but since NE Med and UNMC dictated this move, we should pay the same amount for this new lot, unless it is a less expensive lot.
I must say, with the overwhelming requests that parking received yesterday, the feedback at MMI, that I’ve heard, has only been positive. You guys handled this as best you could and like a pro! Thank you!