UNI AD David Harris details $50 million UNI-Dome renovation

CEDAR FALLS — The University of Northern Iowa is aiming to have a renovated UNI-Dome by the time the venue reaches its 50th birthday in 2026.

Throughout last week on campus, various events and announcements were made to celebrate the private to public transition of the university’s comprehensive capital fundraising campaign branded “Our Tomorrow.”

The four pillars of the campaign include student access and success, engaged learning, academic programs and faculty, and iconic spaces.

“Iconic spaces,” it seems, is where the UNI-Dome enters, and one-fifth of the $250 million fundraiser is earmarked for the long-awaited renovation that got an initial boost with a $5 million donation from alumna Marilyn Bohl.

“I think as many people know this is a project that’s overdue,” UNI athletics director David Harris said earlier this week. “This is a project that many people have talked about for a long time. We made it a priority that we come up with a plan to be able to make this happen.

“We know it’ll be a challenging project. But we feel like our goals should be significant.”

The significant goals of the renovation are rooted in three phases as a result of a feasibility study commissioned in the fall of 2019 with Chicago architecture firm Perkins & Will.

The study interviewed athletes, coaches and administrators and ultimately prioritized providing a modern, multipurpose facility, raising the profile of Panther athletics and ensuring the long-term viability of the dome, and improving the amenities and infrastructure.

Those three priorities guided what renovations will happen and when.

Phase 1 has technically already begun with the recently finished team room that doubles as a game-day suite in the northeast corner of the end zone. Phase 1’s other main effort will be the replacement of the center-most fabric part of the UNI-Dome roof that’s at the end of a 20-year life span.

Phase 2 features the largest parts of the renovation, including a new grand west entrance, expanded concourse, additional restrooms, a west side elevator, new purple seats, resurfacing the indoor track, widening aisles, adding arm rails and dividing and expanding west side suites.

A final, third phase will feature a new sound system, new lighting, new graphics and a marquee at the corner of Hudson Road and West 27th Street.

“A total project cost of $50 million — so we look at it as $50 million for 50 years of the dome,” Harris said. “We’re looking forward to having conversations about this (with donors).”

As ambitious and significant as the $50 million renovation is, the dollar amount is less than what was originally projected in Harris’ “Panthers Rising” strategic plan that he unveiled in 2018. Asked if $50 million would be enough, Harris said there’s consensus.

“We do feel like ($50 million) is a good number,” Harris said. “As we worked with the architects and we figured out what the priorities needed to be for the project, ultimately we landed on $50 million being the right amount given that it was a part of the bigger (Our Tomorrow) campaign. We feel good about the number, but we certainly will have the ability to be able to adjust it as necessary.”

There are no plans at this point to make an appeal for state funds with the legislature, according to Harris. However, Harris’ remarks about the UNI-Dome’s annual $17 million impact to the Cedar Valley’s economy would seem to indicate there could be an overture at some point down the road.

Harris also said efforts will be made to accommodate student-athletes throughout the renovation by working with contractors to keep as much of the dome available throughout construction.

There’s also the chance fundraising dictates a different timeline than what’s been laid out.

“While we’re doing this within a university (fundraising) campaign which runs through 2026, we can’t say definitely when all the work will be done and finished,” Harris said. “Part of that depends not just on when fundraising pledges are made, but ultimately when those pledges are fulfilled. We need to have the money on hand to move forward.”