OMAHA - Opus Design Build LLC has been awarded a contract from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. to renovate and build an addition to the Harper Center to house the College of Business.

This multi-phased project is the result of a collaborative approach between the two organizations and will help the university use space more efficiently. As part of this project, portions of four additional campus buildings will be renovated to accommodate a variety of other academic departments and student services. “There are challenges associated with the age and condition of many of the affected buildings,"says Opus Design Build Vice President Craig Larson. "This project showcases the collaboration between our two organizations to find a solution that will use Creighton's physical space more efficiently.” Larson tells GlobeSt.com that the University felt the Harper Center was underutilized and came up with plan to increase its use of space and also have it house the business school. They then chose Opus to bring this idea to fruition. "The Harper Center is a jewel on campus," Larson says, adding that the College of Business will have a more visible presence when work is completed and that the rest of the buildings to be renovated will also benefit from more traffic and use. Originally built in 2008, about one-third of the 220,000 square foot Harper Center will be remodeled to house the business school. The current office space will become the department's administrative center, dean's suite and faculty offices. A new entry and lobby will be constructed. Plans for the build-out include a glass-walled, high-tech classroom featuring flat panel TVs, a digital display stock ticker and stock trading terminals. The project is slated for completion in early 2014. "Repurposing the Harper Center is key to the College of Business' plan for strategic transformation," says Tony Hendrickson, Dean of the College of Business. "Opus has been a tremendous partner, understanding our underlying goals of making the facility an integral part of the transformational plan.” The Opus Group is a family of commercial real estate companies headquartered in Minneapolis. It includes Opus Holding LLC and its operating subsidiaries; Opus Development Co. LLC, Opus AE Group LLC. and Opus Design Build.