Mount Mercy University to receive $4 million matching grant for athletic complex

Mount Mercy University will receive a $4 million matching grant from the Hall-Perrine Foundation that will be used toward the university's athletic complex capital project.

The total projected cost for the complex, at 909 17th St. NE in Cedar Rapids, site of the former Terex facility, is $15 million and will be funded by financial gifts to the university.

Once completed, the 22-acre athletics complex will provide a permanent home field for baseball, softball, track and field and soccer, according to the university. To receive the full grant, the university must raise $7 million, of which $1 million already has been committed.

“We're grateful that the Hall-Perrine Foundation has been very supportive of Mount Mercy over the years,” said interim president Norm Nielsen. “This, the largest gift Mount Mercy has received from Hall-Perrine to date, will help us accelerate our development of the property.”

Nielsen said he wanted to publicly thank the Hall-Perrine Foundation.

“This lead gift is really going to help us in starting a fund drive to raise the necessary funds to build an outdoor athletic complex for Mount Mercy University, which they have not had throughout the history of their athletic program,” Nielsen said.