Phase I: New indoor facility going up

IOWA CITY -- There will be no tears shed for "The Bubble," the indoor football practice facility on the University of Iowa campus.

OK, maybe former Iowa football coach Hayden Fry will look wistfully to the east from his retirement home in Mesquite, Nev., when the UI retires the 25-year-old facility in perhaps the next 12 months.

But make no mistake, the Bubble's days are numbered.

The University of Iowa will ask for approval for a new indoor football and sports facility at a Board of Regents meeting next week, a Board of Regents agenda revealed Thursday.  The project's budget is $19.5 million, with more than $14.6 million going toward the indoor facility itself.

Iowa athletics director Gary Barta said Thursday he's hopeful for Board of Regents approval on the project, which will be built with athletics department and donor funds. The Regents will vote on the proposal next Thursday.

The process for the new indoor facility began with the Board of Regents' approval to proceed with the project in Oct. 2008.

Barta said he didn't anticipate any fall out from State Regent Michael Gartner. In September, Gartner said it "seemed wrong" that the Regents weren't informed of Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz's new contract, a $3.675 deal that runs through the 2020 season.

"Again, one of the things we try to do is keep the Board informed of the process going back to a couple years ago," Barta said. "The good news is this won't be a surprise when we come to them, but again until they say yes, I won't assume, but but I feel good all along we've tried to keep them informed."

The new facility, 102,100 gross square feet, would be located west of the existing Recreation Building and south of the existing outdoor practice facility.

This will eliminate some parking, but Barta said UI transportation believes there will be a net gain in parking with the removal of the Bubble and that entire corridor opening up.

"It's a part of a master university facility plan, not just athletics," Barta said. "It ties directly into what the [UIHC]hospital is doing, it ties directly into what parking is doing."

The indoor facility if Phase I of football construction. Phase II will be a new football building for coaches, administration, video, strength and conditioning and players lockers and lounge area among other things. Basically, it's everything football other than an indoor facility, including a lobby area for fans to visit and see some of the history of Iowa football, Barta said.

The timeline for phase II hasn't been discussed, Barta said. If the Regents approve of the indoor facility, Barta hopes for a 2011 ground breaking and expects construction period of 12 to 18 months.

Barta estimated the total cost for both phases would be in the $40 to $50 million range. He said Iowa has already raised $17.6 million for the project.

"We have to keep raising money. We have to keep designing," Barta said, "but I feel confident that phase I can give us some momentum and get us started and then we'll go from there."