BELLEVUE- Roughly 45 farm acres in the military-heavy town of Bellevue are to be transformed into a rare 'innovation hub' that supporters argue would thrust Nebraska into the forefront of national cybersecurity efforts. "It's a huge, huge project, out of the box thinking," said Sen. Rita Sanders of the proposed development.

Dubbed the "Prairie Hill Farm Collaboration Campus," the venue is being developed by the City of Bellevue and Burlington Capital and will be located only a short ride from U.S. Strategic Command and Offutt Air Force Base. Backers see the development as an "ecosystem" with a dual purpose: luring and training a high-tech workforce and elevating Nebraska's profile as a developer of "next generation" cybersecurity technology.

If all goes as planned, according to George Achola of Burlington Capital, construction could kick off this year, with the focal point of the project being a 200,000-square-foot innovation and collaboration research facility. Over time, said Achola, the project could expand to over 200 acres. Total investment in the project is expected to surpass $600 million, with the main facility alone carrying an estimated price tag of nearly $200 million.

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