Regents greenlight athletic expansion

 No comments  
 E-mail Story
 Print Story
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

Tools Sponsor

By Matthew Hansen

OMAHA - Steve Pederson's plan to build an athletic complex can proceed, but only after a review of its $50 million price tag, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents said Saturday.

The regents unanimously approved the Nebraska Athletic Department's plan to build a new weight room, locker room, training room, practice field and offices during their monthly meeting Saturday. They did so only after approving what Regent Chuck Wilson of Lincoln called a "relatively benign" amendment asking University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman and his staff to check the plan's details, looking for ways to reduce its cost.

During the meeting, regents said they supported the project and didn't want to meddle with the Athletic Department's fund-raising effort. They also said any money saved would, in turn, save money for people planning to donate to the project. The Athletic Department plans to raise $40 million from private donations and $10 million more by expanding Memorial Stadium's seating capacity.

"We're asking ordinary citizens to give money to this," said Regent Chuck Hassebrook of Lyons, who offered the amendment. "Hard-earned money is being put into this."

The amendment passed 5-3. Regent Jim McClurg of Lincoln said he voted against it because he has confidence in Perlman and Pederson.

NU President L. Dennis Smith also spoke in opposition to the amendment, saying Perlman and the Athletic Department had already reviewed the plan extensively.

"I'm confident that there are enough checks and balances in place that things don't sneak through," Smith said.

Earlier this week, the Athletic Department provided a 34-page breakdown of the proposed complex detailing the size of each area.

The planned 9,000-square-foot locker room includes a player's lounge, a recovery pool and a halftime meeting room. The football team now uses 5,240 square feet of locker room space, a size Pederson has described as inadequate.

The athletic director's own, 960-square-foot-office will sit on the complex's fifth floor, part of an executive level that covers 7,655 square feet and includes an atrium, a conference room and a viewing area.

The fifth level will also house concession stands and restrooms for fans, the size of which hasn't yet been determined.

Construction is slated to end in January 2006, although the plan does list July 2006 as an alternate date of completion.

A fund-raising drive for the project has fought for attention and headlines with Pederson's dismissal of former Coach Frank Solich and a 41-day coaching search that ended with the hiring of former Oakland Raiders Coach Bill Callahan.

Regent Drew Miller of Papillion said the regents faced criticism because people don't believe they took an active role in the coaching search or the proposed complex.

He said regents shouldn't have a role in any coaching search, and that their role in the proposed Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex is limited because the project will use no tax dollars.

"This is strictly folks who want to donate to the athletic program," he said.

Regent Howard Hawks of Omaha said he thought asking for a review of costs would satisfy some of the board's critics.

"This demonstrates to people of the state that the regents are concerned how we use our money in difficult times," Hawks said.

In other news, the regents:

n Unanimously approved construction of the Transplant Production Facility on the University of Nebraska Medical Center's campus. UNMC plans to renovate a building on campus, turning it into the transplant production facility. They say the building will help organ research at UNMC, and also will comply with federal regulations governing the use of cells and tissues.

The $12.5 million project is being funded by UNMC, the Nebraska Medical Center and private donations.

n Chose Don Blank as their chairman. Blank, a McCook dentist, has been a regent since 1986. It's the fourth time he has been chosen chairman. He replaces Randy Ferlic of Omaha, who headed the board in 2003.

Reach Matthew Hansen at 473-7245 or mhansen@;journalstar.com.