Arena no go for tourney

Mike Dick said Thursday that Cedar Rapids city officials have confirmed to him that the U.S. Cellular Center will not be ready for the 2012 state volleyball tournament.

“Obviously, we're a little disappointed,” said Dick, executive director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. “I think the people from Cedar Rapids were disappointed they had to tell us the news, and we were disappointed to hear it.”

The state volleyball tournament has been in Cedar Rapids since 1991. It was at the downtown arena through 2010, but renovation forced it to be moved to the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena last year.

The Ice Arena won the one-year bid over the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City. Because of the breach of contract by the USCC, the IGHSAU's 2011 rent of $27,500 was waived for 2011.

Dick said that the 3,800-seat Ice Arena has been offered for 2012. But will the Union accept the offer or opt for another site?

“Our board (of directors) meets May 19, and that will certainly be on the agenda,” Dick said.

The tournament is Nov. 7-10.

Dick was among four IGHSAU officials who took a guided tour of the arena Thursday and met with city officials, including Mayor Ron Corbett and City Manager Jeff Pomeranz.

Corbett said in February that the event has brought the city $18 million in spending over the last 10 years.

Volleyball is one of four girls' sports (softball, basketball and golf are the others) that are expanding from four classes to five, and the number of qualifying teams from 32 to 40. So the attendance (24,400 last year) and the revenue figure to jump 25 percent in 2012 - wherever it's played.

USCC project manager John Frew said two weeks ago that the USCC's availability “(would boil) down to whether we can have all the life-safety systems in place - the smoke alarms, evacuation plans, water and sprinkler systems.”

Apparently, they won't.

The contract between the IGHSAU and the U.S. Cellular Center runs through 2015. Frew guarantees that the facility will be ready in 2013, and Dick said Thursday:

“From what I saw today, I am very comfortable that it will be ready next year.”

But next year is next year. This year's tournament is only six months away, and there are decisions to be made.

“I made this point to (Pomeranz),” Dick said. “Given this is the second year in a row the Cellular Center hasn't been ready, I think this puts us in a strong bargaining position.”