The university is planning to spend $16 million to renovate the Physical Activities Center beginning in the spring of 2016.
The Board of Trustees Construction Committee, composed of both Finance and Audit Committee members, interviewed four contracting firms Feb. 9, that are interested in leading the project.
The committee will make a recommendation at the Board of Trustees meeting March 5, at which time the board will make a selection.
Funding for the renovations is coming from a capital appropriation.
âThat state of Indiana is funding the $16 million upfront. Itâs a great thing that we do not have to go out and issue debt to repay this,â said Steve Bridges, assistant vice president for business affairs. âAs we spend money on the project, we will be claiming reimbursement from the state, and itâs nice that theyâre cash funding the project. We are really appreciative of that.â
The design phase will begin directly following the boardâs selection.
âWith the design phase – and we did this with the UC East as well – weâll bring in a number of constituents that are stakeholders in the building,â Bridges said. âThe PAC is a great example of that. We have kinesiology, which is a major tenant in that building. Commencement is in that building. Athletics is in that building.â
He said that while the University Center is considered more of a student building, the PAC is more for the Evansville community because it is where most people go when they visit.
âWe will want to get input on how to improve the building,â Bridges said. âWe will probably spend some time dreaming big.â
The first thing they will look into updating is the kinesiology offices and classrooms.
For Bridges, dreaming big includes improve the PACâs exterior and making it more hospitable to commencement ceremonies by improving the sound system and seating.
âIt was cutting edge in 1980, but itâs not anymore,â he said.âWeâll have to scale back our dreams to maybe whatâs realistic. In typical USI fashion, we are going to want to include as many people as we can and get the most we can out of the building because itâs used for a lot of things.â
Bidding firms included Hasting & Chivetta, who contracted for the Liberal Arts Building and the Science Center, Canon Design, Hafer Associates and MSA Sport.
âThe groups that came in and saw the scheduling were shocked at how much just happens in that building, and were amazed that we can utilize it to the level that we do,â Bridges said.
He said each firm who presented felt the building has âgood bones.â
âWith a new construction, you may run into things with ground water and rock and that sort of thing,â he said. âBut with a renovation, you donât know what youâre getting into in the walls.â
Each firm presented their ideas on how to approach the project to the committee.
But Bridges said the firms donât withhold the âkeyâ input that the buildingâs stakeholderâs possess.
The idea of renovating the pool was one alteration brought to the committeeâs attention, and Bridges said it will be an aspect of the discussion.
âThe pool could be an expensive item, and so I would say that we will certainly look at the pool and certainly think about it,â he said.
At this time, there is no projected completion date, Bridges said.
âWe will have to coordinate (renovations) with all of the activities that happen in that building, which will be exciting,â Bridges said sarcastically.