As summer inches closer, the University of Idaho moves closer to solidifying plans to break ground on the latest campus addition.
The Idaho State Board of Education voted unanimously March 14 to approve the University of Idaho’s funding request to build the planned Idaho Central Credit Union Arena.
The project is contingent on approval from State Board Executive Director Matt Freeman in consultation with the new UI president, who will be named by April.
In approving the agenda item, the Board approved UI’s total budget of $46 million to construct the facility, allowing the university to move forward with the bidding and construction phases of the project.
Breaking down the funding
Of the total $46 million cost for the arena, UI currently has secured a planned $43 million, which is comprised of private gifts, donations and sponsorships as well as student fees and an internal loan. The project will use roughly $25 million in fundraising fees, with $16 million already raised. The remaining $9 million are projected to come from gifts, pledges and sponsorships.
The increased student fees, $60 per year, will generate $17.5 million over the next 35 years, the State Board said in a news release. The fee, which was originally implemented in April 2016, already brought in $750,000. The Board will vote on the fee increase at its April 17 meeting.
The remaining $17.5 million and $9 million not yet in hand will come from an internal loan amounting to $29 million as the rest is brought in over time.
The internal loan totaling $29 million to cover the gap in funding from pledged awards and anticipated student fees will come from a pool used for short- term investments, separate from university reserve funds.
Opsis and Architects designed the project. Hoffman Construction has submitted a construction bid with an estimated cost of roughly $37.6 million. The total estimated cost includes construction costs, as well as design and support construction costs and administrative costs, among other financial aspects. The project is anticipated to be bid in sub-packages by Hoffan Construction, according to State Board materials.
Final approval includes the authority for the UI vice president for finance and administration to implement all necessary requisite consulting and vendor contracts to implement the project, said Mike Keckler, State Board spokesperson.
The plans
The facility’s master plans date back to the mid-1950’s, according to State Board materials. The project first moved forward in 2014 when Staben said he would develop a facility “suited to campus needs,” the Board materials show.
The Board’s vote allows the university to proceed with plans to construct the 4,200-seat arena in fall 2021, with groundbreaking anticipated to occur in the spring of 2019, granted it gets proper approval from the next UI president and State Board executive director.
“The ICCU arena is much more than a basketball arena,” said Chuck Staben, president of the University of Idaho, in a news release. “This unique facility represents an essential addition to our residential campus, offering a gathering place for students, athletes, faculty, staff, alumni and friends for generations to come.”
Staben also thanked ICCU and the “many donors and partners whose support will make the arena a reality.” ICCU donated $10 million to help fund the facility, thereby earning the arena’s naming rights.
The arena’s planned site sits north of the existing ASUI Activity Center. The arena will feature a practice court facility, offices, locker rooms, alumni and conference facilities in addition to concourses, restrooms and concession spaces. The university intends for the facility to serve as a venue for court sports, provide additional offices for athletics staff and sufficient space for concerts.
The facility will feature engineered wood designed from Idaho forest products.
Gaging community reactions
In a poll conducted by Vandal Nation via social media, 56 percent of participants indicated they supported the increase in student fees for the arena, while 44 percent did not. A total 560 people participated in the poll, 302 on Facebook and 258 on Twitter. Participants on Facebook voted 51 percent yes and 49 percent no, compared to 64 percent yes and 36 percent no on Twitter.
ASUI President Nicole Skinner said the arena and proposal is part of a larger plan on the part of ASUI to create more student and university spaces, making the fee increase worth it.
“We have invested a lot in it already,” said Nicole Skinner, ASUI president. “I was excited to hear they granted us the ability to move forward to the next step.”
Idaho Athletic Director Pete Isakson said there will be checks and balances in place when a new president comes in, but the ap- proval from the Board is keeps the project moving forward.
“We are very, very excited. We are able to keep the project moving on,” Isakson said. “And we are excited for the 2021-2022 season when we should be playing basketball in the building.”
Kyle Pfannenstiel and Meredith Spelbring can be reached at [email protected]