Maverick Campus All-Sports Dome

Transcription

1 Maverick Campus All-Sports Dome

2 Health & Wellness is an important University Strategic initiative We are committed in providing high quality academic, recreational and athletic facilities that result in the improved health and wellness of our students, faculty and staff, an enjoyable recreational and academic experience and highly competitive intercollegiate programs. Richard Davenport President, MSU

3 Sports bubble continues facilities development A new, multi-use facility complements Phase I Outdoor Recreation & Fitness Facilities Improvements and continues to addresses five core issues: Commitment to ongoing facilities improvements Convenience and access of facility locations Student program growth & expansion Modernization Safety

4 Benefits to MSU Students: This new multi-use facility also aligns with key strategic University initiatives to benefit: Improved health, wellness & safety Improved recruitment and retention Increased community partnerships Improved campus beautification

5 Benefits of a Seasonal Sports Bubble: Multipurpose field-use for Academic classes, Campus Recreation, Athletics, and Community usage Academic fitness & activity classes Flag football, rugby, lacrosse, soccer, ultimate frisbee, club baseball, cricket, and open recreation activities Baseball/softball practice moves to bubble Frees up Myers Field House for more Campus Recreation use Improved general student access to Myers Field House Access beginning at 5:00pm or earlier at most times during year 300 additional hours become available for student programming Community usage creates revenue generation opportunity

6 Benefits of a Seasonal Sports Bubble: 50 degrees Moves programming and sports best suited for turf usage from court space to more desirable practice/play surface Year round needs/year round playability Indoor turf/multi-use space: October 15-April 15 Outdoor turf space: April 16-October 14 Inclement weather issueslate fall/early spring Postseason opportunities Summer camps

7 Planning for access & usage: The right site: Monks Avenue (current multi-use field space) Ease of access for campus, off-campus, and other user groups Adequate on-site parking already in place Space suitable for 1.5 field facility development

8 Facility costs: Funding & Resources 1.5 Field Seasonal Sports Bubble: Estimated costs: $4.0 million Annual operating costs: $325,000-$350,000 Capital funding sources: Potential student fee support (fee based; similar to Outdoor Rec field improvements) Institutional support up to $2 million Potential private support: naming recognition opportunity Annual operating costs: Institutional support for ongoing operations and maintenance costs Revenue generation

9 Student-centered programming model: PROPOSED SPORTS BUBBLE PROGRAMMING MIX Open/Unassigned 15% Intercollegiate Athletics 13% Student-Academic & Campus Rec 37% The proposed programming model provides general student access for more than 37% of the 117 available scheduled operating hours each week. Community Rental 35% While the facility would prove beneficial to MSU studentathletes, intercollegiate athletics usage accounts for only 13% of the scheduled programming time each week. Community rental time is projected to net over $325,000 annually to cover operating costs.

10 Action steps: Feasibility study (completed) Initial student leadership consultation (Task Force- Spring 2018) Design and programming study (Summer 2018) Provides a cost estimate Hire architect & designer (September 2018) Student programming & design input (ongoing) Facilities field trip (Nov. 9, tentative Nov. 30) Student open forum (Nov. 13, Nov. 28, 2018) Referendum (December 4, 2018): Affords opportunity to demonstrate student voice Potential construction: May 15, 2019-Oct. 1, 2019 Potential open date: October 15, 2019

11 Questions:? Maverick Campus All-Sports Dome

12 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ s) of a Seasonal Sports Bubble on Campus-Fall What is a seasonal sports bubble? A seasonal sports bubble is an air-inflated indoor fabric dome covering a synthetic turf playing field (3 fields in size; approximately 75 yards long and 50 yards wide each). The field space would covered by the seasonal bubble during the winter months for a maximum of six months (proposed October 15- April 14). The facility would be heated to approximately 50 degrees throughout the winter months and would be a building operation space that would include restrooms and changing space during the winter months and double as a storage building for the fabric bubble when it is down. During the late spring, summer and early fall (April 15- October 14), the space would function as an unlighted, multi-use outdoor synthetic turf field. 2. Why is this facility needed or important? This facility would allow us to transition many activities that are currently scheduled in Myers Field House and Schellberg Gym during the winter months on court space to a more appropriate turf surface in this new location. Activities that would benefit from indoor turf include, but are not limited to: soccer, rugby, lacrosse, ultimate Frisbee, baseball, softball, football, cricket, walking, jogging, running, and much more. This change in scheduling would open up more than 300 hours of valuable court space time for a variety of indoor activities in Myers and Schellberg such as basketball, volleyball, table tennis, cricket, badminton, pickleball, team building programs, indoor climbing wall access, and much more. It is very likely that a number of academic and activity classes would use the sports bubble as well. 3. Is this sports bubble just being built to accommodate MSU student-athletes? No, the sports bubble will be open and available to serve all MSU students. Campus Recreation will have significantly more scheduled time and access to the facility than Athletics. Athletics will have access to the space for practices that is limited during the weekday from 2:00-5:00pm and for infrequent weekend event programming. Campus Recreation will be able to use the space after 5:00pm on weeknights and on weekends. Depending on academic needs, there may also be mornings and afternoons that the facility might be open for recreational use as well. 4. Location of the sports bubble? We are targeting the field south of parking lot 23, just south of the intersection of Stadium Road and Monks Avenue, as it provides convenient access for a variety of user groups. This location is currently an undeveloped open recreation field, primarily used as overflow for soccer. Parking would likely utilize our current Orange Lot 22 South and the ability to use existing parking areas dramatically reduces the overall project cost. This would NOT impact or change access to the Free Lot (Lot 23). 5. How much will it cost me to support this project? The funding the students will consider is a fee for a 10-year period at $0.83 per credit, banded at $10.00/per semester for 12 credits and would generate an amount that would cover roughly half of the overall project cost. If approved by referendum, the fee would be first be collected beginning in Fall 2019.

13 6. Is the University paying for any portion of this facility? Yes, the University is paying up to $2 million, or approximately half of the construction cost. 7. Who pays for annual maintenance and operations, utilities, staff, etc.? The plan is to generate enough additional revenue through sponsorship, corporate partnerships, and outside rentals to local groups and community organizations to pay for the estimated $300,000/year in annual operations and maintenance costs. This revenue generation plan would mean no additional student fees would be necessary to cover these costs. Despite the need for external use, students can rest assured that their programming will always be the top priority and the programming scheduling model is carefully balanced by addressing those needs while still allowing us to generate enough additional revenue to make funding the annual operational and maintenance costs a reality. We are confident we are building a facility with more than ample capacity to meet all of our campus needs, so maximizing usage by opening the facility to external users groups in order to generate revenue and meet some of the needs of the community, while keeping overall costs to students to a minimum, makes sense from a financial standpoint. 8. Does the proposed student fee provide for replacement of the bubble and turf when they need replacement? Yes, repair and replacement dollars will be set aside in a separate sinking fund each year. Replacement costs will vary with the expected life of various components and be dependent upon a variety of other factors. For example, the seasonal bubble/dome fabric has a life expectancy of 20 years and the estimated replacement cost of $450,000 in today s dollars would include only the outside membrane, with all other related structural elements still presumed to be useful at the end of that cycle. The synthetic turf should last years with an approximate replacement cost of $400,000-$500,000 depending on field size. 9. If the facility is being rented to outside groups, will it limit or eliminate my access to the space? A tentative programming model for the seasonal sports bubble has been developed that is very similar to the scheduling template we use to program Myers Field House. As proposed, during the weekdays, academic classes are scheduled from 8:00am-2:00pm, with Athletics from 2:00pm-5:00pm, followed by Campus Recreation time from 5:00pm to close and then on weekends when special events aren t scheduled. Since the facility is three fields in size, there will be enough space available to have both outside facility rentals and recreation usage going on simultaneously. Because of NCAA compliance issues, the time that the space might be exclusively scheduled for just one user group would be during Athletic practice times during the weekdays from 2:00pm- 5:00pm. Depending on the academic schedule, there will likely be time from 6:30am- 2pm on weekdays that Campus Recreation may have access as well. 10. Have students been involved in the planning process? Yes, a task force appointed during the Spring 2018 semester by President Davenport investigated the future needs of the University for athletic and recreational programming and space. The task force met from January 2018 to April 2018 in a series of meetings comprised of various stakeholders including administration, staff, students and student leadership. The task force utilized analysis of past student survey data (from 2006, 2014 & 2017) which

14 identified the needs of various student groups over time and the Task Force also solicited direct user group feedback during its work, before reaching conclusions that became part of their recommendations to the President s Cabinet in May Will there be a time to ask questions and give feedback about this project? Yes, the plan is to hold open forums on Tuesday, November 13 th at 6pm in Ostrander Auditorium (CSU) and Wednesday, November 28 th at 3pm in CSU Will I get a chance to vote on this? Yes, the plan would be for the student s voice to be heard via a student referendum which will be held on Tuesday, December 4 th. 13. If a referendum passes, when will the facility be ready to use? The current plan would be to construct the facility beginning in May 2019 with completion and first usage scheduled for approximately mid-october Given the tentative schedule, it is anticipated the facility would first open with the seasonal bubble structure already in place. 14. What happens if a student referendum fails? Based on preliminary interest and student feedback, we anticipate significant support for the facility in a referendum initiative. If a referendum would fail, however, the plan would likely be to maintain the status quo or to possibly install synthetic turf on the infield of the outdoor track, as an alternative to expand and extend playability of space on our campus. 15. How many students will potentially be impacted by these kinds of improvements and how will they benefit? When you consider sports clubs, intramural sports activities, outdoor recreation, fitness and wellness, and open recreation (not including Human Performance classes and Athletics), over 60 percent of Minnesota State University, Mankato students currently utilize the existing recreation facilities-that s over 9,000 students each year. There is a strong correlation between the dramatic improvements to MSU s recreation facilities such as Myers Field House and the indoor climbing wall, Otto Recreation Center and our outdoor recreation fields that students have benefited from in recent years and the dramatic increases in usage hours that have resulted. 16. How does this proposal fit within the overall university plan and align with the strategic plan? A few years back health and wellness was identified as one of the University s key strategic initiatives and President Davenport suggested a personal commitment to providing high quality academic, recreational and athletic facilities that would result in the improved health and wellness of students, faculty and staff, an enjoyable recreational and academic experience and highly competitive intercollegiate programs. Expanded programming, excellent services and exceptional facilities promote exercise, friendship, development of social skills and leadership opportunities and make for a healthier, happier Minnesota State Mankato community. In addition, new facilities such as this have the potential to enhance the quality of life and the type of opportunities available for students, boost campus camaraderie and enthusiasm, and help attract prospective students and other visitors to our campus. Finally, these types of facilities promote recruitment of prospective students and by providing an important student engagement opportunity, help facilitate retention of those already enrolled.

15 17. What about the need to put synthetic turf in the infield of the outdoor track? I thought that was identified by the Task Force as the top priority. Installing turf to the infield of the outdoor track was identified by the Task Force as the number one priority, but because of the funding source and the immediate availability of $2 million in revenue bonds, the University decided to commit to paying for half of a sports bubble (matching that of what the students might approve in student fees), made the most sense and maximized the opportunity by offering not only a larger turf play space than available inside the track, but by also expanding usage opportunities by creating valuable indoor space during the inclement weather months. In a climate that includes a long winter, creating access to another indoor facility would have the most impact and offer students the greatest return on their investment, as it would operate during a time period during a majority of the academic year when they are on campus. 18. What about Maverick Adventures and an Otto Recreation Center expansion? I thought these were also identified as a priority by the Task Force. Those projects are much more expansive and come with a larger price tag (estimated over $9 million). As such, these initiatives will go through a different process and become part of the Campus Master Plan. The funding source for this work will also be different (General Obligation bonds (versus Revenue Bonds), and therefore requires a different type of approval (local approval, MN State approval, then approval by the legislature). We know these areas are priorities for our students, and we will continue to work towards these goals. In the interim, Maverick Adventures pilot programs (caving, bike trips, hiking, snowga, outdoor cooking, snowshoeing and more) are being offered and have been successful in attracting participation, and more than $108,000 in new strength equipment was just installed in the Otto Recreation Center weight room in September/October These outcomes represent small, quality wins that provide optimism about continued future progress in moving forward. 19. Is something going to be done to repair the six tennis courts as they are in very poor condition? The tennis courts are currently not in the plan to be replaced or resurfaced, however, they are in significant disrepair. We have been advised during our last court maintenance project, that resurfacing the existing courts is no longer an option and that they would instead need to be fully replaced. The projected full replacement cost of the existing tennis courts is $347,300 and is being evaluated as part of the updated Campus Master Plan.

16 News Media Articles The Mankato Free Press: The Mankato Free Press editorial: KEYC TV: