By the numbers
$16.2 million: Private donations secured so far for the project
$8.8 million: Amount Wittenberg is eligible for in state and federal tax credits
$750,000: Amount of grant Wittenberg is seeking from CFA
$70 million: Wittenberg’s estimated local economic impact annually
Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun has provided in-depth coverage of this proposed expansion and renovation since it was first announced.
Wittenberg University presented new details of a $30 million expansion and renovation of its athletic facilities to the Convention Facilities Authority board Thursday.
Wittenberg President Laurie Joyner is asking the Clark County CFA for a $750,000 grant — $250,000 annually for the next three years — to help fund the project.
Wittenberg has already raised $16.2 million in private donations and is eligible for $8.8 million in state and federal tax credits. It’s seeking the final $5 million needed to break ground, Joyner said, some of which is local dollars required to match any state investment.
CFA members said they are taking a serious look at the proposal, but don’t have a timeline for a decision.
The amount of the request has been cited by some as prohibitive.
“That’s three quarters of our budget,” said CFA board member John Mauer.
The project fits the grant criteria, though, and is a great project for the community, he added.
The CFA awarded $396,000 in grants to local tourism projects last year and has given out $226,000 so far this year. The money comes from bed taxes at Clark County hotels.
In addition to renovation of the 1929 field house and the 1982 Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Center, the university’s plan includes the construction of a new 125,000-square-foot indoor athletic facility attached to the north end of the HPER.
The new center will house a 100-yard artificial turf for football, soccer and other sports and a 300-meter indoor track.
“No one will have an indoor facility of this nature at our level,” said Athletic Director Gary Williams.
Other planned upgrades include:
•New weight room;
•Strength training and wellness center;
•Technology-enabled classroom spaces for programs like the school’s new Exercise Science major;
•Updated locker rooms and alumni/recruiting lounge;
•Special events spaces;
•Improvements to the football press box; and
•New court surfaces for tennis, volleyball and basketball courts.
Some land that Wittenberg owns along McCreight Avenue could be converted into parking.
The updated facilities will help with student and athlete recruitment and retention, Joyner said. It will also allow the university to attract regional and national events that it currently cannot host, including AAU club tournaments and NCAA championships, she added.
“We are losing students because of our facilities,” Joyner said. “That doesn’t just impact Wittenberg; it impacts Springfield and it impacts Clark County.”
The school has about 1,900 students and 475 employees. It currently brings about 3,500 visitors to Springfield each year with an estimated economic impact of $70 million annually, Joyner said.
Newly elected CFA president Charles Ingle said the board is committed to taking a deep look at Wittenberg’s proposal and will discuss its grant application at the next meeting Sept. 17.
He questioned Joyner on how the facilities will support themselves once built. She said the university has a $2 million endowment built into the plans which will create $100,000 each year to run the indoor facility. Energy efficiencies in the design and materials will make that cost feasible, she added.
“I’d like to see some of the numbers on how it’s paid for going forward,” Ingle said. “I think their future is tied with Springfield’s future.”
In other business, the CFA board denied a request from Culturefest for a $10,000 grant for logistics, entertainment and promotions, saying it didn’t fit the criteria for a facilities grant.
It also tabled a $60,000 request from the Heritage Center of Clark County for a development officer salary, saying it wanted to have further discussions with county commissioners about the possible impact of a .3-mill levy on the November ballot to support the center’s operation.
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