http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2008/01/17/news/20080117_front%20page_10.txt
$162M sports plan unveiled
By DAILY SUN STAFF
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The price tag is huge: $162 million. But so is the potential payoff, according to NAU officials who announced on Wednesday a four-phase upgrading of the athletic facilities on the Mountain Campus.
"Athletics have long been an important part of university life and a window to the community, but they also provide an important economic engine for universities and their communities," said Mason Gerety, dean of The W.A. Franke College of Business and chair of the task force that drafted the plan, in a press release.
The centerpiece of the plan is a 6,500-seat, multiuse arena for basketball, concerts and community activitities, estimated to cost $86 million.
Other projects include a major renovation of Walkup Skydome and new facilities for women's soccer, women's golf, volleyball and men's and women's tennis as well as beefed-up facilities for swimming and track and field.
The task force did not identify specific funding sources for each project. It suggested a mix of state and university funding, special taxing authority, revenues from stadium skyboxes, and donor opportunities, including naming rights.
Haeger formed the task force of faculty, students, staff and community members in August. He intends to submit the plans to the Arizona Board of Regents and members of the Arizona Legislature.
"This has now become a very, very top priority for the university," NAU President John Haeger told a breakfast gathering of community leaders in announcing the plan.
Added Gerety: "NAU has tremendous momentum. There's no reason not to go forward."
The initial phase, which could begin as early as this spring and will cost $31.8 million, will address critical fire and life safety issues in the Skydome, new turf for the dome, a new floor for Rolle Activity Center, new locker rooms for Rolle and Wall Aquatic Center, locker rooms for soccer, tennis and track and field, and a new throwing area for track and field.
Phase II, envisioned for 2009 and 2010, includes the 6,500-seat community arena, an overhaul of Lumberjack Stadium, and further renovations to the aquatic center. "The arena may be the most important part of all the projects," Gerety said. "Not only would it provide a first-class place to play basketball, it would also offer an area for big-name concerts and other events, which would really bring in the community."
An important aspect of Phase II depends on the Big Sky Conference's expected decision to include women's softball as a championship sport. If that happens, NAU plans to construct a softball facility, though the location is undetermined.
The dome renovation would continue in Phase III as about 5,000 seats would be removed to upgrade concessions stands and add club seating. Athletics offices and the Hall of Fame would move to a new addition on the south side of the dome. Phase III is planned to begin in 2011.
Phase IV would overlap with Phase III in 2012 and complete Skydome and aquatic center renovations and add amenities to Lumberjack Stadium.
The overall athletics plan is supplemented by the recently approved student health and wellness fee that will begin in the fall and will add fields and other recreational opportunities to the general student population.
Adding student recreational space allows athletics teams to have more access to current and proposed facilities for practice and other activities.
"This is a plan to construct athletics facilities that will serve the campus and community for the next 40 years," Gerety said. "We don't have to do everything on our list, but we have to do some things."
Funding options:
--State and university funds
--Special taxing authority
--Naming rights
--Sky box and club box revenues
--Private donations
Athletics Master Plan Schedule
Phase I: 2008-09
Skydome upgrade $12.3M
Multisport facility $9.8M
Football practice fields $5.2M
Cage and throwing circles $161,000
Rolle Center upgrade $2.9M
Wall Aquatic Center upgrade $1.3M
Phase II 2010-11
Demolish Lumberjack Stadium $798,000
New Athletic Department offices, training room, lockerrooms $20.2M
Women's outdoor sports $4.7M
Phase III 2012-13
New 6,500-seat arena $86.0M
Skydome amenities $4.6M
New Lumberjack Stadium seating $3.7M
Phase IV 2013-14
Final Skydome renovations $14.0M
Outdoor tennis courts $681,000
New aquatic center UNPRICED
Total $162 million
$162M sports plan unveiled
By DAILY SUN STAFF
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The price tag is huge: $162 million. But so is the potential payoff, according to NAU officials who announced on Wednesday a four-phase upgrading of the athletic facilities on the Mountain Campus.
"Athletics have long been an important part of university life and a window to the community, but they also provide an important economic engine for universities and their communities," said Mason Gerety, dean of The W.A. Franke College of Business and chair of the task force that drafted the plan, in a press release.
The centerpiece of the plan is a 6,500-seat, multiuse arena for basketball, concerts and community activitities, estimated to cost $86 million.
Other projects include a major renovation of Walkup Skydome and new facilities for women's soccer, women's golf, volleyball and men's and women's tennis as well as beefed-up facilities for swimming and track and field.
The task force did not identify specific funding sources for each project. It suggested a mix of state and university funding, special taxing authority, revenues from stadium skyboxes, and donor opportunities, including naming rights.
Haeger formed the task force of faculty, students, staff and community members in August. He intends to submit the plans to the Arizona Board of Regents and members of the Arizona Legislature.
"This has now become a very, very top priority for the university," NAU President John Haeger told a breakfast gathering of community leaders in announcing the plan.
Added Gerety: "NAU has tremendous momentum. There's no reason not to go forward."
The initial phase, which could begin as early as this spring and will cost $31.8 million, will address critical fire and life safety issues in the Skydome, new turf for the dome, a new floor for Rolle Activity Center, new locker rooms for Rolle and Wall Aquatic Center, locker rooms for soccer, tennis and track and field, and a new throwing area for track and field.
Phase II, envisioned for 2009 and 2010, includes the 6,500-seat community arena, an overhaul of Lumberjack Stadium, and further renovations to the aquatic center. "The arena may be the most important part of all the projects," Gerety said. "Not only would it provide a first-class place to play basketball, it would also offer an area for big-name concerts and other events, which would really bring in the community."
An important aspect of Phase II depends on the Big Sky Conference's expected decision to include women's softball as a championship sport. If that happens, NAU plans to construct a softball facility, though the location is undetermined.
The dome renovation would continue in Phase III as about 5,000 seats would be removed to upgrade concessions stands and add club seating. Athletics offices and the Hall of Fame would move to a new addition on the south side of the dome. Phase III is planned to begin in 2011.
Phase IV would overlap with Phase III in 2012 and complete Skydome and aquatic center renovations and add amenities to Lumberjack Stadium.
The overall athletics plan is supplemented by the recently approved student health and wellness fee that will begin in the fall and will add fields and other recreational opportunities to the general student population.
Adding student recreational space allows athletics teams to have more access to current and proposed facilities for practice and other activities.
"This is a plan to construct athletics facilities that will serve the campus and community for the next 40 years," Gerety said. "We don't have to do everything on our list, but we have to do some things."
Funding options:
--State and university funds
--Special taxing authority
--Naming rights
--Sky box and club box revenues
--Private donations
Athletics Master Plan Schedule
Phase I: 2008-09
Skydome upgrade $12.3M
Multisport facility $9.8M
Football practice fields $5.2M
Cage and throwing circles $161,000
Rolle Center upgrade $2.9M
Wall Aquatic Center upgrade $1.3M
Phase II 2010-11
Demolish Lumberjack Stadium $798,000
New Athletic Department offices, training room, lockerrooms $20.2M
Women's outdoor sports $4.7M
Phase III 2012-13
New 6,500-seat arena $86.0M
Skydome amenities $4.6M
New Lumberjack Stadium seating $3.7M
Phase IV 2013-14
Final Skydome renovations $14.0M
Outdoor tennis courts $681,000
New aquatic center UNPRICED
Total $162 million
