Devaney project would ease Husker teams’ woes

[Husker_Power]

Devaney project would ease Husker teams' woes

Christopher Niemann, a freshman on the Nebraska men’s basketball team, misses practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays because of a class conflict. Practice can’t be moved, because there’s nowhere convenient to go, and the Devaney Sports Center court isn’t available 24/7.

 

The men’s and women’s basketball teams, when the high school state tournaments are in town, move practices to Mabel Lee Hall, a campus classroom building that has a court — 10 feet shy of regulation size — tucked away on the second floor.

 

And speaking of Mabel Lee Hall, that’s where the women’s gymnastics team has been practicing on a temporary basis.

 

Since 1992.

 

The Devaney Center Improvements Project, scheduled to go to the Nebraska board of regents late this summer, addresses those problems.

 

With a price tag estimated around $16 million, the project includes men’s and women’s basketball practice gymnasiums, coaches’ offices, a strength complex and athletic medicine area, and practice facilities for gymnastics and wrestling.

 

John Ingram, assistant athletic director for facilities, said construction will begin in August 2010, with a targeted completion date of late fall 2011.

 

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said the project will be financed through the athletic department, which is prepared to use some reserve funds and may use some revenue bonds.

 

“We’re not sure at this point,” Osborne said. “But we do know we have the wherewithal, even though we may have to tighten our belt a little bit, to get it done.”

 

Osborne said IMG, the Huskers’ marketing partner that has expressed interest in helping finance construction for Lincoln’s proposed downtown arena, is “somewhat interested” in Nebraska’s facilities project.

 

Osborne said he has some “soft leads” on possible lead gifts. He’s also heard from a couple of fans who have shown an interest in starting a grass-roots fundraising campaign.

 

“Naturally, the more money we can raise, the better,” Osborne said. “We’re obviously going to do the very best we can to raise funds, but I would also say this is a difficult time to raise funds.”

 

The struggling economy is a big reason why the city of Lincoln decided to postpone a spring vote on a proposed arena in the Haymarket District. Initial plans were to include a basketball practice facility attached to the arena.

 

“When it became apparent that there was not going to be any vote this spring on the new arena, and we weren’t going to be able to start a practice facility there,” Osborne said, “we decided we can’t wait any longer.”

 

The Devaney Center practice facility would still serve the basketball teams even if a new arena is built.

 

The Chancellor’s office has given initial concept approval. The next step, Ingram said, is to select a consultant to program the project — do a complete site analysis that will identify building footprints.

 

That document will be presented to the regents. If the regents approve the program statement and initial budgets, the next step is securing an architect. That could be late fall or winter.

 

“We want to be thorough,” Ingram said of the program statement. “We don’t want to rush into this without making sure we’ve got all the facts, so we can make the best decision.”

 

Ingram said plans for the Devaney Center Improvements Project will be coordinated with the future planning of the Nebraska Innovation Campus, a research park to be built on the current state fairgrounds.

 

“We’re not doing this on our own,” Ingram said.

 

Osborne said he’s received information from other schools that are building or have recently built basketball practice facilities. Iowa State is currently constructing an $8 million facility on the west side of Ames. Texas A&M recently opened a $22 million facility.

 

“We want something that’s really nice and attractive and good for recruits to see, but also functional,” Osborne said. “And we’re not looking for something that’s got every possible bell and whistle on it just to run the price up, either.

 

“We’re going to be very cautious here.”

--------------------------------------------------------------

Devaney repair work estimates as high as $10M

 

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said he’s received estimates as high as $10 million for repair work needed to the Devaney Sports Center.

That number could change after the 32-year-old building undergoes a physical analysis and energy audit this spring or summer. That will be in conjunction with the program statement being prepared for the Devaney Center Improvements Project.

John Ingram, Nebraska’s assistant athletic director for facilities, said the “complete top-to-bottom report card” on the Devaney Center will be the first one in 10 years.

“It’s in really good shape right now,” Ingram said, “but there are some deficiencies, and we’re going to identify all of those.”

The repair work is needed regardless of the fate of a proposed arena in Lincoln’s Haymarket District. Nebraska’s basketball teams would be the main tenants in the new arena.

If the arena vote fails, and Nebraska is to make the Devaney Center its long-term home for basketball, further renovations will be explored.

Osborne said more than $20 million would be needed “if you really want to bring it up to speed” with suites and preferred seating areas, and upgrades to the concourses.

 

--Brian Rosenthal