A three-block stretch of 17th Street through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus will be sold to NU and permanently closed, the Lincoln City Council decided on a 5-1 vote.
UNL will keep both ends of the street open for access to nearby buildings, but plans to convert the rest of the land into a pedestrian walkway, council members were told at Monday’s meeting.
The plan to make 16th Street a two-way street through campus and close 17th Street has been part of city and university planning documents for two decades.
Completed in 2012, Antelope Valley Parkway was intended to replace 16th and 17th streets as the major north-south thoroughfare east of downtown, creating a more pedestrian-friendly campus.
The goal was to reduce traffic through campus from about 30,000 vehicles a day to less than 7,000, said Jennifer Dam, director of campus planning and space management.
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A final vote to sell the street had previously been delayed amid opposition to the move and angst over the agreed-to sale price.
Michelle Backemeyer, with the city's Urban Development Department, took a second look at the $80,000 price tag for the street and concluded that the $1-per-square foot basis was fair because of the multiple easements on the land and the fact that it is not a buildable lot.
The stretch of 17th Street through campus has been temporarily closed for months in preparation for the demolition of the Cather and Pound residence halls and the subsequent cleanup.Ìý
Sixteenth Street was converted to a two-way street and its traffic signals removed and replaced with four-way stops last summer. Traffic concerns led to some of the opposition to closing 17th.Ìý
It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks, Councilman Carl Eskridge said about shifting traffic through campus to Antelope Valley Parkway.
“As one who used 16th and 17th streets a lot, it was kind of hard to change,†said Eskridge. But he has. And Eskridge said he understands the need to close 17th Street through campus.
Eskridge and Councilwoman Jane Raybould also pointed out that the city and university are partners, working together on many issues, and UNL is important to the community’s economic vibrancy.
Only Councilman Roy Christensen voted against the sale. Councilman Jon Camp, who had earlier voiced objections, was not at the meeting.
Christensen said he was still unclear on the public benefit of closing 17th Street and no constituent who contacted him wanted to close the street and sell it to the university.