Iowa officials seek approval for renovations
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By Steve Batterson | Thursday, June 12, 2008 |
Premium courtside seating and a new club area will help the University of Iowa fund a $47 million renovation and expansion of Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
University officials will seek approval to move forward with the project at the 25-year-old arena from the Iowa Board of Regents during meetings today and Thursday at Ames, Iowa.
“The need is real and the time is right,’’ Iowa director of athletics Gary Barta said. “Our student-athletes need the practice space that this project will provide, and our fans will benefit from improvements that are needed in a facility that has served us well over the past 25 years, but needs some updating.’’
The need for additional practice space for the men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball programs and added space for weight-training and fitness activities are at the heart of the project that Regents will be asked to sign off on.
Barta pointed to the current 1,800-square foot weight-training room as an example of how intercollegiate athletics have changed since the doors to $18.9 million Carver-Hawkeye Arena were opened for the first time in January, 1983.
“In facilities being constructed today, an average-sized weight-training room for the number of athletes we are trying to serve would be somewhere between 8,000- and 9,000-square feet,’’ Barta said. “Times have changed and today, it is standard for programs to have their own practice facilities. Currently, we have three programs sharing one court.’’
Those issues will be addressed in a four-story addition that will be built behind the current arena structure.
The exterior of the addition has been designed to complement and enhance the unique architecture of the existing structure.
It will be made of concrete and zinc panels and all three levels of the office wing will feature a curved, glass curtain wall. Plaza entry levels will be developed at both the first level of the addition and the fourth level of the existing structure.
“Whatever improvements we make need to complement the award-winning design that made a bold statement when Carver-Hawkeye opened in 1983 and that will be important as well,’’ Barta said.
Improvements for fans include new concessions and restroom facilities, installation of an additional elevator to move fans from the current fourth-level entry points to the court level and replacement of the existing collapsible seating located on the lower level of the arena seating bowl.
Two rows totaling 100 courtside seats and an additional 550 club seats will be added at the lowest levels, providing access to a new Event Level Club area to be built near the court-side tunnel.
The Event Level Club and another similar facility to be built on the fourth level will be used for pre-event gatherings and other athletic functions.
Courtside seat pricing for men’s basketball includes a 10-year commitment of $10,000 per seat in the first row and $5,000 per seat in the second row. In addition, for five years fans will provide a gift of $15,000 per seat in the first row and $7,000 per seat in the second row.
Seating for men’s basketball in the club seat areas will cost $1,000 per year for 10 years plus a minimum gift of $1,500 per seat for five years.
The revenue model that will be presented to Regents also includes 300 club seats for wrestling events that will be sold at $500 per seat, providing seating close to the mat and access to the club areas.
Combined revenue from the two areas is projected to raise $3 million annually for the first five years and $1.3 million annually in the second five years to help fund the project.
At least an additional $900,000 per year is expected to be generated through a priority seat gift program that will give better seats to fans who meet priority donation requirements.
Fans who already donate to secure priority seats for football at Kinnick Stadium would have that dollar figure credited toward their basketball seats as well.
A capital gift campaign is also planned to raise $20 million.
Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
By comparison
If renovation plans are approved, Iowa would join six other Big Ten schools in offering premium courtside and club seating for men’s basketball games.
Rates charged range from a low of $2,423 at Ohio State to a high of $25,694 at Indiana. The average at the six schools with courtside seating is $9,825.
Three other Big Ten schools currently have or plan to have club seating, ranging from $200 at Northwestern to the planned fee of $2,488 at Purdue. The average amount of the three is $1,650.
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