Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
Get the frisbees ready. And the picnic blankets, hammocks and lawn games, too! Creighton is getting a new park on campus.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Creighton Quad took place Thursday, Sept. 11, celebrating the new 5.7-acre green space that will soon become a social hub of student activity, community building and campus events.
The Creighton Quad, which will open in fall 2026, represents the largest physical reshaping of the campus in the University’s history. It will be located near 22nd and Burt Streets, across the Mall from the Ahmanson Law Center and next to the Mike and Josie Harper Center.
“With its natural grass, amphitheater, pavilion, stage, fountain plaza, and art installation, this will be a space where the Creighton spirit thrives,” University President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, said Thursday.
The Quad’s installation reflects Creighton’s commitment to continually improving the student experience — adding more natural green spaces has been a popular student request over the years.
Cole Krudwig, a senior in the Heider College of Business, told the campus leaders, Board of Trustees members and students in attendance Thursday that Creighton is special because of the ways it brings people together.
“My classmates and I learn so much in the classroom, but it’s the experiences outside of it — the research, internships, service, connections, and even the greenspaces on campus — that make the biggest difference,” Krudwig said. “Time outdoors on campus clears our minds, supports our physical health, and strengthens our social bonds.
“I’m so grateful to everyone who has a part in making the Creighton Quad a reality.”
The Creighton Quad was designed by OJB Landscape Architecture and will be completed by Kiewit Corporation. Its construction, estimated to cost $22-25 million, will be entirely donor-supported.
The generosity of the Robert B. Daugherty Foundation helped make the Quad possible. The Foundation’s executive director, John Wilson, was already envisioning on Thursday the impact that the Quad will have on students.
Standing just off the Mall, with heavy machinery already in place on the dirt field behind him, Wilson spoke to the audience about the legacy of Bob Daugherty, who believed in the University’s values and supported its mission to educate students and serve the community.
“The Quad provides an opportunity to invest in the promising futures of Creighton University, the Omaha metro area, and Nebraska,” Wilson said. “A year from now, we will see a campus reimagined, a beautiful green space within walking distance of downtown Omaha and at the heart of Creighton’s academic and residential life.”
