In 2016, Bryan Health did a 10-year master plan, and one of the needs identified as part of that planning was a centralized facility to accommodate business and support functions for the growing health system.
One possibility to fulfill that need was to find available ground somewhere in Lincoln and build a new facility. The other option was to find an existing building that would meet Bryan’s needs.
The second option turned out to be the right one.
Bryan Health completed the purchase earlier this month of the two office buildings and more than 20 acres of land owned by Allstate in the Firethorn development of east Lincoln. The purchase price was $16 million.
Bryan said in a news release that the purchase provides a move-in-ready facility that is significantly less expensive than acquiring land to build new buildings or continuing costly lease agreements, as well as a location near 84th and Van Dorn streets that is accessible to employees and convenient to both its Lincoln hospital campuses.
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“We are thrilled this very cost-effective opportunity presented itself. It will allow Bryan to invest more into our team and patient care,†said Mike Dewerff, chief financial officer of Bryan Health. “The location and existing facilities are outstanding and meet every element we were seeking when we began exploring options.â€
The campus, near Firethorn Golf Club, was built in 1998 to be the home of Lincoln Benefit Life, which Allstate owned at the time. It has two office buildings that have about 165,000 square feet of space between them.
Lincoln Benefit Life employees — who made up the bulk of Allstate’s workforce in Lincoln — moved out of the buildings shortly after Allstate completed the sale of the company in 2014.
Allstate said at that time that it planned to “maintain a significant presence in Lincoln,†where it had other employees working in financial services, underwriting, technology, customer service, human resources and other areas.
Tanya Robinson, an Allstate spokeswoman, said some of the company’s local employees are able to work from home, while others will continue to work out of the office “until we establish a new space in the area that meets our current and future needs.â€
Bryan said it plans to move employees into the two buildings on what it plans to call the Bryan Firethorn Campus over a three-to-five-year period starting with departments that are working in its medical office buildings and in rented facilities.
Directions 2022: Changing times in Lincoln
Explore all of the articles, videos and photos in this year's Directions section here.
Several residential projects in or near downtown, including the 250-foot-tall Lied Place Residences, will open to residents this year.
Delta Nelson's entire life has been rooted in the auto industry, so it only made sense when she decided to open The Mechanix Garage in Lincoln.
Downtown Lincoln's population is expected to reach 10,000 in 2025 — a 730% increase since 2010.
The history, culture and DNA of the Cornhusker state are woven throughout the Scarlet, which is scheduled to open this spring.
Robin Eschliman's annual review of restaurants in Lincoln found more dining options opened in 2021 than shut down.
Over $2 billion worth of inventory was sold online through HiBid in 2021, and there are typically anywhere from 700,000 to 1 million items listed on the site at any given time.
Assurity's Jack Douglas moved with his wife from South Carolina in 2020, the height of the pandemic.Â
What started as an ambitious vision in 2015 has nearly come to fruition for Speedway Properties and Nelnet, which partnered together and bought more than a dozen properties in the once-blighted area in the 2010s.Â
Union Bank & Trust executive vice president Doris Robertson attributes the bank's recent success in part to the innovations the company made during the early days of the pandemic.
Before Boxcar BBQ officially served its first slab of ribs to a paying customer in October, the staff experimented with hundreds of pounds of meat and dozens of tweaks to their recipes.
Even when the work is hard and frustrating, Jayne Ellenwood says it fills her bucket to be a part of Bryan's response to the community.
The golf club that opened in 2001 has gone private and among its new features will be a 250-foot-long lazy river, an adults-only pool with a swim-up bar and a six-lane competition lap pool.
"I wrote thank-you cards to anyone that spent money with us. … I wrote hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of cards," owner Laurie Frasier said, even if someone only spent a few dollars.
With the South Beltway set to open next year, some developers worry the city isn’t thinking aggressively enough about spurring growth in an area still largely unserved by sewer and other infrastructure.
Jason Ball returns home to lead the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce with determination to "keep the ball rolling" for Lincoln as the city develops and grows.
CHI Health plans to open a new clinic at 40th Street and Yankee Hill Road, while Bryan Health will wrap up a multiyear expansion and renovation at its East Campus hospital.
Directions 2022: Growing chickens for Costco a link to origins of five-generation Seward County farm
Each of the eight Schulz Poultry barns holds 45,000 birds, which arrive at just a couple hours old and spend the next 42-44 days in the barns before going to Fremont for processing.
Jada Picket Pin said she enjoys serving first-time visitors to the Green Gateau, as well as regulars who return for the excellent food and quality service.
Christina Melgoza has seen big changes in Lincoln during her eight years as director of lot sales at Kreuger Development. She spoke to the Journal Star about Lincoln’s growth, the housing market and more.
Since CompanyCam's inception, more than 400 million photos have been stored and 15 million projects created largely by contractors looking to better document their work.
Monolith led a record year for investment in Lincoln-based companies, which collectively raised nearly $300 million in venture capital in 2021.Â
Many employees moved to remote work during COVID-19, a trend that's likely to stick around, experts say. But other pandemic effects, such as labor shortages and pay increases, are likely to be short-term changes.
A fundraising campaign brought in more than $10.3 million for the 7 acres of land near the airport and the 60,000-square-foot new office building and warehouse, almost doubling the Food Bank's current space.
Watch Now: Veteran coach and broadcaster Derrick Pearson brings a new sports radio vision to Lincoln
Jay Foreman, Erick Strickland and Vershan Jackson have shows on the The Ticket, which also has programs featuring 22 current Nebraska athletes.
The Journal Star invited businesses and other offices celebrating an anniversary divisible by five this year to share their history with readers.
The Journal Star invited readers to share honors that businesses or employees received as best of state, region or nation. Also included is a recap of the major awards presented by business organizations locally.
In June, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce resumed ribbon-cutting events to mark new businesses, businesses with new owners, relocated and renovated businesses, business anniversaries and ground-breaking ceremonies.