Facilities

[DanceswithRabbits]

Re: Facilities

The one question I have is that a few years back (I think before the "Return to Glory" drive for the Campanile) SDSU had asked for donations specifically for the Wellness/Football stadium. Does anyone else remember giving to that. State was also asking for money for the PAC (I know the PAC got helped along by the City's 2nd penny sales tax) at the same time. I remember reading that the goal for Wellness/Coughlin was nearly met some time ago, and way ahead of the PAC goal.

Did they up the goal, did they use the money for something else or am I just plain crazy?

[iasomebison]

Re: Facilities

NDSU's wellness center was paid for by student fees voted for by the student body

http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/wellness/about/index.shtml

it is a nice facility that gets a lot of use.. students also recently voted to expand it through student fees.

[Alumguy]

Re: Facilities

On the Wellness Center issue. The original idea was to build a 7 million dollar facility. That 7 million dollar facility quickly turned into a 14 million dollar facility. Less than 3 million dollars was received in private donations. When the one cent capital improvement tax was passed, it was understood that $500,000 would go toward a Wellness Center. The students voted to "tax" themselves to the tune of 1.5 million dollars for the facility. If you add up all those figures, about 4.5 million dollars were earmarked for the facility ... a long ways from the 14 million dollars needed. With all the other projects at the university requiring attention (Performing Arts Center, campanile restoration, engineering building improvements, etc.) there was increased attention to raising money for those ventures. The Wellness Center was set on the back burner. It is my understanding that the Wellness Center is now inching closer to the front of the stove.

NDSU is to be commended for having asked the students to vote on funding a wellness center. Students want to sweat together. A quality wellness facility is a fantastic tool to attract potential students.

[DanceswithRabbits]

Re: Facilities

 Less than 3 million dollars was received in private donations.  When the one cent capital improvement tax was passed, it was understood that $500,000 would go toward a Wellness Center.  The students voted to "tax" themselves to the tune of 1.5 million dollars for the facility.  If you add up all those figures, about 4.5 million dollars were earmarked for the facility ... a long ways from the 14 million dollars needed.

Alumguy, great info thanks.  However, if we add it all up shouldn't it be almost 5 million dollars, or did the city pull back its $500,000 for some reason?

[Alumguy]

Re: Facilities

I suppose I was trying to be a little ambigious on the private funding when I said private donations came in at less than 3 million dollars. The last figure I heard with respect to private funding was right around 2.5 million.

As I understand it, the new thought on a Wellness Center will be far less expensive than the original 14 million. Plus, a new location is under consideration.

[DanceswithRabbits]

Re: Facilities

I suppose I was trying to be a little ambigious on the private funding when I said private donations came in at less than 3 million dollars.  The last figure I heard with respect to private funding was right around 2.5 million.

As I understand it, the new thought on a Wellness Center will be far less expensive than the original 14 million.  Plus, a new location is under consideration.

Alumguy, I understand, I am not trying to be picky.  2.5 million, while not the goal, is nothing to sneeze at.  It is the lion's share of the money raised so far for this project.  I have to ask, so if they are looking at a different location then their would be no stadium renovation  ???  I must say that was my favorite part of the plan, being able to have multi-use is key to a building that will cost so much, IMHO.

[DanceswithRabbits]

Re: Facilities

Off athletics for a second, does anyone know how the Student Union expansion is being payed for?  Is the state helping?

http://www.sdsucollegian.com/news/575232.html

Union expansion plans come closer to being finalized
The Market in USU to close at 3 p.m. Friday until January to replace ceiling

By Heather Mangen

Media Credit: courtesy photo
An artist´s rendering shows what the University Student Union´s southeast entrance will look like by night after the expansion.


Expansion plans for the University Student Union are closer to being finalized. Part of construction will begin Friday.

Full construction will begin in May and will force every office currently located in the union to move to new locations. Only the bookstore will stay put.

"If we have a bigger, better union, it will attract more people," said Kayte Peters, graduate assistant for the University Student Union Operation.

The Market in the USU will close at 3 p.m. Friday. It will not reopen until Jan. 7. The ceiling in The Market will be replaced because of problems with asbestos.

This is the first step in the union expansion said Kathy Lusk, director of the Department of Student Union and Activities.

The entire union will close in May. However, Eric Erickson, president of the Students' Association, said that construction would begin in March. He said it would not be a disruption because workers will only work on the addition to the union.

Construction should be done in March 2005 said Erickson.

Lusk said the expansion is still in its planning stages. Although most of the architectural plans are worked out, carpets, furniture and paints for the offices are currently being picked out.

Lusk said that students are involved in picking out furniture and arranging it for their own offices.

All the offices in the union and The Market will move to new locations in May.

Everyone, including lower level offices like KSDJ and the Collegian, must move out even though construction is only being done on the upper level of the union.

However, the University Bookstore will remain in its current location throughout construction.

Lusk said two or three alternative dining places would be opened as a temporary replacement for The Market.

However, she could not say the location of the dining services at this time.

The Student Union Activities office, Card Service, SA office, Outback Jacks, and the University Program Council office will be relocated to the United Campus Ministries building.

KSDJ and the Collegian will move to the basement of Mathews Hall.

Kayte Peters, graduate assistant for the University Student Union Operation said the temporary move would be especially hard on Outback Jacks.

Because of limited space, they cannot take all of their indoor equipment with them.

Their pool tables, video games and other items will stay in the union basement during construction.

Peters said Outback Jacks would have to focus on their designing services.

"[The move] may let students forget about what we have down here for indoor equipment" said Peters.

Even though not much will change in the union basement, Peters said the final product would help Outback Jacks.

Lusk said that the student organizations have been very cooperative with the union expansion project.

"They know what they are getting in the end," she said.

In the spring, pictures and models of the new union will be in the breezeway for students to view said Lusk

[Alumguy]

Re: Facilities

The student union expansion is being paid for by student fees ... there will be no state money involved. I believe this is typical for most student unions within the state. I'm sure this was one reason why university officials did not push to have student fees help with the move to Division I. They didn't want to ask the students to pay more ... again.

[JACKGUY]

Re: Facilities

I assume the wellness center will be where the Jack athletes and student body will train. The current weightlifting and cardiovascualr venues are unbelievablely outdated and pale to some of the schools that we will be recruiting against. This has to be a priority or we will continue to lose out on valuable recruits.

[Alumguy]

Re: Facilities

There has been some discussion about football recruiting. In three weeks this will be a prime topic of conversation. I bring this up in this "thread" because facilities are absolutely critical in recruiting. Some of the posters have indicated a need for a Wellness Center. Agreed. However, an even more critical need with respect to recruiting is a quality locker room for the student athletes. These kids aren't stupid. Neither are the schools that recruit them. Some colleges have beautiful locker facilities and kids see this. The facility at Coughlin Alumni is well below average. The state of South Dakota won't build a new facility. Hell, they didn't build the last one. I'm sure Fred Oien has this facility near the top of his wish list.

[89rabbit]

Re: Facilities

I guess that is why is am a little confused about where we are with the Stadium/Wellness Center/Locker Rooms.  My understanding was that this one building was going to have it all.  

New meeting rooms (that doubled as suites), new locker rooms, a new training area, and  permanent seating on the East side of Coughlin.  This is the way I understood the project.  

Alumguy, I agree with your post our football facilities are not up to our standards (although better then many in I-AA). So the question becomes, when is SDSU going to adress these needs, and how are they going to do it?

I like the Wellness/Staduim idea as I understood it, I still think it is the best way to go. I think it would help recruiting if we could at least spell out a time line or Vison of what we want to do and when.

Go State!

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Facilities

89 Rabbit:
You are not alone in being confused on the facilities. What you described as the project was drawn up I want to say back in 1993. I think the reason action has been very slow in making this project a reality is that SDSU is basically a state assisted as opposed to a state supported institution. A football staduim as Alumguy pointed out has never been a project for the legislature to consider. The way to get anything done that the legislature will not approve is give it to the SDSU Foundation.

The Foundation had a Visions Campaign that started in 1993 and was completed in 1998 with the goal of raising 50 million. There were a number projects included in the Visions campaign besides the Wellness Center/Coughlin Alumni upgrade. The additions to the Engineering building, the Journalism building, the Art Muesuem, and a number of other projects have now been completed, but the Wellness center was placed on the back burner.

With the desire to move to D1AA, there enters a new issue that was not their back in 1993 and that was the additional scholarships that need to be endowed. As a result, the Wellness Center and staduim upgrade are again not moved forward. I think Sid Bostic showed last week what he has accompolished so far and what he will accompolish in the near future to endow all the those extra scholarships. Once we get the scholarship endowments in place, then the ticket revenue and other sources of revenue can be directed towards upgrading the facilities and I feel it will happen,

The dressing room facilities is a almost a must and its kind of like an absysed tooth, its got to be addressed and as Alum Guy said, this is first in prioirites. The rest of things will follow. I know there has been funds raised since 1993 for the wellness center and what can be done with these funds and what is intended at this point is an issue I really dont have the facts on and anything I would say would be pure speculation.

We almost got to get those scholarships in place for our move D1AA, but our facilities particularily Coughlin Alumni cry for help. I am glad you got your copy of College on the Hill. Read the Staduim for State chapter.
The FES people have been with us for a long long time.

[89rabbit]

Re: Facilities

I totally hear what you are saying and agree 100%.  We must get the scholarships in place first.  I also agree the locker rooms need help (I was in a couple of times so Athletic Trainer Jim Booher could look at my knee while I was in High School) they were outdated and too small in the Mid-'80s.  

From a fans stand point it would be nice to know the direction we are taking. Perhaps we will just need to be a little more patient.   SDSU has made some improvements, new ticket boths, exp. bathrooms, new TV quality lights, and I hear new scoreboards for next year (maybe?).  I will have faith in Dr. Oien, Sid Bostic, and the rest.  They have done a fine job so far.  As I said before, although Couglin could use some help, it will not be the worst field we play at next year.  Looking forward to the day that the Coughlin/Wellness Center is moved to the front burner.

Here is a link to some pictures of stadiums from our proposed new conf.

http://www.freewebs.com/great_wester...umpictures.htm

The book has been great so far, I am trying not to jump ahead, but I am looking forward to the Stadium for State chapter.  

Go State!

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Facilities

One of the projects that I forgot mention in the Visions Campaign was the Performing Arts Building now up and running in what was the parking lot to the east of Frost.

Alumguy mention in a previous post that the cost of the Wellness Center went from 7 to 14 million. Also the city 1 cent tax at one point had about 2 to 3 million earmarked for the Wellness Center. There was a mutual agreement between SDSU and the City that useage of this money would be a more patable sell on the ballot by shifting the money to the Performing Arts building.
This proved to be a wise move as it might have been harder to win on the ballot the one cent tax if it had went to the Wellness Center. Plays and concerts are probably more popular than Basketball and a new facility for this purpose has been needed for a long time.

Because the citizens of Brookings got to vote on the one cent tax, it's been a misconception by some of the older residents to assume that the D1AA move would also be on the ballot and they would also vote on that.
Thats why so many grumble about this issue as though it was going to be voted on and they could bury the issue with a defeat at the ballot box. Not so.

I dont recall specifically what Harvey Jewett's vote on the BOR was on the D1 issue, but I do recall that he said something to the effect that he felt confident that the SDSU Foundation could raise money for projects and that they probably would also suceed in the D1 scholarships and extra costs. It looks like his observation about the Foundation was correct.

[Alumguy]

Re: Facilities

I see in the Argus this morning that the Vikings are staying in Mankato. This is not a surprise. I commend business leaders in SF and the governor for trying to lure the team across the border.

However, it's time for SD business leaders and the folks in Pierre to take this same ambition and apply it to our effort to move to DI. I struggle with why "they don't get it." DI athletics will draw new attention to the SDSU program. It will draw national attention to our state.

If these same leaders would muster resources for SDSU, a new and better Coughlin Alumni Stadium would be an immediate reality. As to recruiting football players, (and stealing a line from the movie Field of Dreams) "If you build it, they will come."

This is another example where people from South Dakota think more of someone else and less of themselves. Think about it. Red McCombs is filthy rich. Yet, the state was ready to throw money at him to lure the choker Vikings across the border. For what ... 3 weeks of the Vikings in SF?

Let's hope Sid and Fred are successful in educating these people that we have an opportunity to do great things for South Dakota ... not some temporary thing from across the border. If Governor Rounds is serious about his 2010 Initiative (visions for South Dakota's future) then he would be wise to invest in South Dakota first.