(Radio Iowa) – The University of Iowa is moving ahead with the planning process to upgrade Carver-Hawkeye Arena after getting approval from the Board of Regents. U-I Vice President Rod Lehnertz says the arena built in 1983 is the only one in the Big Ten that hasn’t been renovated.
“It is time to modernize the building and also address the needs of our patrons, the fans that come and experience it both for athletics and university events,” he says. The building is home to men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s wrestling, gymnastics and the athletic department administration. It also hosts university events, concerts and commencements. Lehnertz says the cost of the 50- to 70 million-dollar project will include air conditioning.
“We will, as a part of the design process for this project, will be designing and exploring the options for effective cooling of the building,” he says. Lehnertz says many of the upgrades are for fan comfort, including meeting the Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
He says they also want to add some things to create more revenue from events.
University of Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz told the Regents they are looking to get things going soon.
Lehnerts says the approval allows them to start seeking consultants and the planning for the upgrades could be completed yet this year.
