Carver renovation moving right along

IOWA CITY - Construction crews buzz just north of Carver-Hawkeye Arena on a new practice facility for Iowa's basketball and volleyball teams.

The view hardly seems visually appealing to most observers, but new Iowa men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery couldn't be happier to see it.

"It's exciting to look out the window and see the new facility," he said. "When I got here it was a big hole. Now there's a building in there. You can literally walk to where the court is. The roof is up, the walls are up, there's where the courts are going to be ..."

Iowa is less than a year from completing its $43 million Carver-Hawkeye Arena reconstruction, which will add a new multi-court practice facility, an 11,ooo-square foot strength-and-conditioning center, a renovated wrestling complex, wider concourses, additional restrooms, new offices and a high-speed elevator. When it's completed, athletes can shoot baskets or work out on their own time, whether it's 6 a.m. or 11 p.m. 

It wasn't that long ago when a new basketball practice facility seemed unlikely at best. Former men's basketball coaches Steve Alford and Todd Lickliter preached incessantly about the need for more practice space. Six different sports share Carver-Hawkeye Arena for competitions, including both basketball and gymnastics teams, wrestling and volleyball.

The problems intensify during late fall, when practices overlap competitions. In November 2008, Iowa had volleyball, wrestling and both basketball squads competing at home on the same weekend. The basketball teams held shootarounds off-campus, and the wrestling squad staged its first meet in 25 years at the 80-year-old Field House to accommodate scheduling.

The athletics department quietly sought pledges until the state Board of Regents approved its financing plan on June 12, 2008. Project fundraising also has soared. Iowa has raised close to $20 million in pledges and have commitments for around 400 of the 500 premium seats. Private donations for the $89 million Kinnick Stadium renovation completed in 2006 totaled $14 million.

"We look at one significant date, and that's moving back in on August 1, 2011," said Jane Meyer, Iowa's senior associate athletics director. "Our goal is to ensure that that is being met, and we feel confident right now that Knutson as general contractor is going to meet that date because obviously it's very important to the functionality of our facility."

The construction has created some logistical challenges, such as parking and maintaining a practice schedule. Many Iowa staffers have moved their offices to the Kinnick Stadium press box until next summer. Iowa's gymnastics teams will compete at the Field House rather than Carver-Hawkeye Arena this year because of the renovation.

But McCaffery and volleyball coach Sharon Dingman prefer to concentrate on the future rewards than dwell on the current negatives.

"I think it won't be too bad. We'll make it work," McCaffery said. "That is something that will be more comfortable next year when we can go in there whenever we want because we'll have three different courts to work with."

"There's nothing negative about it," Dingman said. "The players haven't said one word. They're excited. They've seen what's coming next year. When we move back into this building a year from now it's going to be an amazing building. Beside that, it's the function that we're excited about."

Iowa officials will reseat the arena based on I-Club contributions in time for 2011-12 season. Premium seats cost $12,500 over a five-year period and football contributions carry over for basketball seating.

In the interim, Iowa officials hope to keep their fans interested in the project, but not interrupted because of it.

"Our goal is that no one knows that there's anything going on back here," Meyer said. "So anything that's occurring in the bowl, all of our volleyball matches, out basketball games, our wrestling matches, no one should know any different. The patrons won't know there's anything else going on other than a buzz of activity."