Inside Iowa State

Aug. 12, 2004

Planning moves ahead for alumni center, student services building

by Anne Krapfl

Early planning will begin on buildings for the ISU Alumni Association and several academic student services, following initial approval by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, Aug. 4.

The alumni association hopes to build a 30,000-square-foot, $9 million center on Beach Avenue, south of C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Private gifts would pay for the center. According to a preliminary proposal to the regents, the center could include a visitors lounge, staff offices, several meeting rooms, a multipurpose office and activity space for the Student Alumni Leadership Council.

Last month, the alumni association moved from the Memorial Union to temporary offices in the former Fisher-Nickell residence building on Beach Road. The Union soon will begin a $17 million renovation and addition project.

A key tenant in the proposed Student Success Center would be the Athletic Center for Educational Services, currently in Beyer Hall. Other tenants include the Christina Hixson Opportunity Awards program and the Academic Success Center -- services such as disability resources, academic counseling, tutoring and supplemental instruction. A site has not been selected yet for the proposed $10 million facility, which also would be funded with private gifts.

A site hasn't been selected yet for another facility, the new dairy/animal science facility. Regents approved changes to the proposal that adds a second phase to include a pavilion (animal holding areas and 42,000-square-foot arena) and teaching/meeting rooms. Phase 1 is a dairy education and research complex housing 500 milking cows. Estimated costs are $15.3 million and $9 million for phases 1 and 2, respectively. The anticipated location is south of campus, near the university's existing research and teaching farms, to coordinate resources most efficiently.

Finally, the board gave a green light to begin plans for $6 million to $8 million in improvements to Hilton Coliseum. They include upgrading the fire alarm system, reconfiguring the mezzanine stairways, adding seats and repairing existing seats, increasing concession space, replacing elevators and the sound system, and adding meeting space.

The upgrades were identified in a 1996 study done by a Kansas City architecture firm. Some improvements were completed in 2001. Operation revenues and bond sales would pay for the project.

MU parking ramp

The Memorial Union parking ramp will remain open during phased structural repairs -- 150 stalls at a time -- approved by the board. At a cost of $3.4 million, the work will involve replacing deteriorating concrete and interior steel "tendons" damaged by corrosion. The work will be done next summer. The cost will be added to the bonding package, now up to $20 million, for renovations to the Union. The ramp will remain a revenue-generating component of the Union, rather than become part of the ISU parking system.

The alumni association hopes to build a 30,000-square-foot, $9 million center on Beach Avenue, south of C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Private gifts would pay for the center.