1. Permission to proceed with project planning for Jack Trice Stadium Improvements – 2006 –
Phase 2, the Poultry Farm – Layer Research Facility, and Recreation Facilities
Expansion and Renovation, all major capital projects as defined by Board policy. [...]
The Recreation Facilities Expansion and Renovation project would upgrade the University’s
recreation facilities to expand student recreation offerings in response to student demand. The
proposed project would include construction of an addition to State Gym, the renovation of existing
space in State Gym and Beyer Hall, and the installation of air conditioning in the Lied Recreation
Center. Campus maps indicating the location of the three facilities, and the proposed addition to
State Gym, are included as Attachments D and E). The estimated project cost of $50 million to
$55 million would be funded by bonds, the debt service of which would be paid by student fee
revenue.
The development of improved recreation facilities at Iowa State University is supported by a
number of national and local studies, as well as
ISU student endorsements. National student
recreation studies have determined the following:
• The availability of intramural and recreational sports is one of the primary factors in a student’s
choice of a university.
• Student participation in recreational sports has been found to have a positive correlation with
student quality of life, retention rates, and overall college satisfaction and success.
• The vitality of campus life is reinforced by the provision of high quality facilities that include
programs in fitness, wellness, nutrition, aerobics, weight training, intramural sports, sport
clubs, outdoor recreation, experiential learning, and many other related activities.
• Recreation facilities should be large enough to support regular participation by the majority of
the student body.
BOARD OF REGENTS AGENDA ITEM 22
STATE OF IOWA PAGE 3
A 2007 Iowa State University recreation facility feasibility study found that while
ISU has aboveaverage
student recreation participation levels, it has below-average dedicated indoor recreation
space per student (8.6 square feet compared to the standard of 10 to 13 square feet). The
construction of the proposed State Gym addition, currently estimated at 92,320 square feet, would
increase the University’s average indoor recreation space to 12.2 square feet per student.
An
ISU student needs assessment survey, with more than 5,400 respondents, indicated that more
than 90 percent of the respondents use the Lied Recreation Center on a weekly basis. In addition,
49 percent of the respondents indicated that the University should make the development of new
or improved campus recreation facilities a high or very high priority; 39 percent of the respondents
indicated a medium priority for the improvements. Finally, 54 percent of the survey respondents
indicated that the west side of campus, in the vicinity of Beyer Hall and State Gym, would be the
preferred location for improved recreation facilities.
To further assess student support for improved recreation facilities, student government
organizations conducted an on-line referendum in February 2008. With 6,466 students voting, the
referendum passed with 52.1 percent of the vote. As a result, the
ISU Government of the Student
Body endorsed proceeding with planning for the recreation facility improvements.
Since the project would require an increase in the mandatory student fees, the Special Student
Fee and Tuition Committee (established by Iowa Code and consisting of an equal number of
students and administrators) met to review the referendum results and related student comments,
including concerns regarding the specific amount of the increased fees. Based on a thorough
discussion of the students’ comments, the Committee recommended to the President that the
University request Board of Regents approval to proceed with the project. If the Board grants
permission to proceed, the University would create a project planning committee consisting of a
majority of students. Based on previous student comments, the University believes the work of
the project planning committee could result in modifications to the project.
While the detailed financing plan, project size, and fee structure have yet to be finalized and
presented for Board approval, the University’s current assumptions include the issuance of bonds
to finance a $52.8 million project. In this scenario, the mandatory student fee would increase $20
per semester for two years beginning in FY 2010. In FY 2012, the year the facilities would be
occupied, the fee would increase to $107 per semester. The University will work with the Board’s
financial advisors and bond counsel, and Board staff, in developing the financing plan for the
project. This would include redirecting existing debt service fees from the Lied Recreation
project and the Ice Arena when they mature to support the recreational enterprise.
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