The UW System Board of Regents approved a proposal by the UW Athletic Department August 19 to construct a brand new 91,000 square foot Athletic Performance Center at an estimated cost of $76.8 million.
The new structure would support both outdated medical, training, and educational resources currently housed in the McClain Center, while also allowing space for new services not currently offered to student athletes at the University. The five-story building, to be situated in a space now occupied by a surface parking lot behind the north end zone of Camp Randall Stadium, would also provide space for the College of Engineering Computer-Aided Engineering Center.
According to a proposal document submitted to the Board of Regents, the center will provide a new locker room, multi-media instructional space, as well as recovery and shower rooms for the football team in the basement level. These facilities will connect to the existing McClain Center structure via a new tunnel.
The next two floors of the planned athletic facility are designed to house a new strength and conditioning center for all 750 intercollegiate athletes across campus. Additionally, the third floor will become home to a sports medicine clinic to be operated by the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics.
According to the athletic department, many of the space constraints and amenity short-falls present in the current athletic facilities occur due to an over-use of the spaces.
John Chadima, associate athletic director for capital projects and sports administration within the UW Athletic Department, admits that while the personnel who support the student athletes both academically and athletically are outstanding, the facilities they work in are not necessarily the most accommodating.
""The McClain Center, that was built in 1988 to service primarily the football squad, and now services really most if not all of our student athletes one way or another, is tight and that's really the backbone behind ... the request we are making,"" Chadima said.
Although Chadima would not specifically say whether or not he believes the current facilities hurt recruiting, he did defend its necesity.
""It's certainly a facility of need and it's something that we need to be competitive with other schools in not only our conference, but nationwide,"" Chamdima said.
Additionally, the fourth floor of the center would provide space for the neighboring College of Engineering. According to the report, the current facilities housing the college's Computer Aided Engineering Center are out-dated and cramped. This new space would facilitate computer accessibility for the approximately 5,000 engineering students on campus.
With the completion of the new structure, the athletic department also proposes a simultaneous renovation of current spaces in the McClain center to include a new rehabilitative treatment area and expanded space for the current Fetzer Center, the Athletic Department's educational support service.
According to the report, ""A full time staff of 16 and part-time staff of more than 100 tutors and mentors currently use the [Fetzer Center.} This large number of staff makes the center highly compressed; in particular, the space available for tutoring, study table meetings, and offices is severely constrained.""
The proposal also includes a new practice turf and fabric roof for the McClain Center, a complete grass turf replacement inside Camp Randall Stadium, and a $3.5 million upgrade to the stadium's scoreboard and sound system.
The project is to be paid by both gift and grant funds, as well as program revenue supported borrowing. The athletic department plans to offset the bond payments through ticket revenue, increased revenue from the Big Ten Conference expansion and football championship game, UW Hospital and Clinics usage fees, as well as a recently re-negotiated apparel agreement with Adidas.
While the athletic department contents that this project is a necessity, a similar, $67 million proposal failed two years ago after the State Department of Administration decided against approving the project, despite initial approval by the Board of Regents. Officials hope this time that proper justification has been presented and the project will be accepted by the state.
If approved, the Athletic Department hopes to break ground in December 2011, with the new performance center being completed in October 2013 and the entire project completed by late 2014.
