{"id":65343,"date":"2019-06-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2019\/06\/24\/unmc-holds-groundbreaking-ceremony-for-wigton-heritage-center\/"},"modified":"2022-08-29T16:08:49","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T21:08:49","slug":"unmc-holds-groundbreaking-ceremony-for-wigton-heritage-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2019\/06\/24\/unmc-holds-groundbreaking-ceremony-for-wigton-heritage-center\/","title":{"rendered":"UNMC holds groundbreaking ceremony for Wigton Heritage Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here is the link to the complete press kit for the June 24 groundbreaking ceremony for the Wigton Heritage Center at UNMC. It includes video and audio sound bites, a cool video walk through of what the building will look like, several external and internal renderings of the building, and much more.
\nhttps:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/publicrelations\/media\/press-kits\/wigton-heritage-center.html<\/a>
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The University of Nebraska Medical Center will hold a ceremony at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 24, to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Wigton Heritage Center and the launch of the renovation of Wittson Hall. 
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\nThe total cost of the dual project is $26 million. Renovation of Wittson Hall will cost $18 million with state funding provided by LB 957. Philanthropic support will cover the $8 million construction cost of the Wigton Heritage Center. The University of Nebraska Foundation continues to seek contributions for the programmatic costs associated with the Wigton Heritage Center.
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\nRenovation of Wittson Hall has already begun. Construction of the Wigton Heritage Center will begin this summer. Completion of Wittson Hall will be in the second half of 2020, and the Wigton Heritage Center is planned to open in the first quarter of 2021.
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\nThe 10,000-square-foot, four-level Wigton Heritage Center will celebrate and memorialize UNMC’s history, while also serving as a campus welcome center. In addition, the project will replace the existing walkways between Wittson Hall and University Tower. The buildings will be connected through a multi-floor space.
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\nMajor funding for the Wigton Heritage Center has been committed by Robert Wigton, M.D., a 1969 alumnus of the College of Medicine who served as professor in internal medicine at UNMC and in several key administrative areas in the College of Medicine, including associate dean for graduate medical education. The Wigton legacy spans three generations with several physicians within the family serving UNMC.
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\nThe Leland J. and Dorothy H. Olson Charitable Foundation also provided a generous gift in support of the Wigton Heritage Center project. Leland Olson, M.D., and Dorothy Hodges Olson, both deceased, were University of Nebraska alumni and major contributors to UNMC for a variety of women's health and university initiatives. Dr. Olson, a respected obstetrician and gynecologist in Omaha, was a volunteer UNMC physician staff member and mentored medical interns in his practice.
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\n"This project is yet another important example of how public-private partnerships have helped UNMC flourish and fulfill its statewide mission to transform lives," said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. "The Wigton Heritage Center will be a transformational gathering place, where we can welcome guests, host events and meet with friends and colleagues.
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\n"We are grateful for the support of the private donors who make this project possible. Their UNMC legacies span multiple generations of service at UNMC. Their commitment to building the Wigton Heritage Center enables us to highlight the unique history of the medical center and the important role it has played both in the state and global leadership throughout medical education."
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\nSome of the features of the Wigton Heritage Center include:<\/p>\n