(News release) – The Northwest Missouri State University Board of Regents on Thursday approved the University’s plans to construct a multipurpose facility on the campus and authorized Northwest to award the construction contract to E.L. Crawford Construction Inc.
The Board authorized the construction project not to exceed $18,775,000, while the contract awarded to E.L. Crawford, based in St. Joseph, Missouri, is worth $15,243,000.
In a related agenda item, the Board approved the facility to be named for the Carl and Cheryl Hughes family, who committed a significant gift to the project through the Hughes Family Foundation, of which Carl Hughes is president and Cheryl Hughes is vice president.
In coming months, the University will work with the Hughes family to finalize a name for the facility that, during construction, will be known as the Hughes Family Center. Carl Hughes, who also serves as a member of the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors, is a 1976 alumnus of the University; Cheryl Hughes is a 1978 alumna.
The University has outlined four goals for the center: promoting health, wellness and engaged programming for Northwest’s students, faculty and staff as well as the broader community; providing a competitive advantage relative to Northwest’s intercollegiate athletics teams and overall programming; enhancing Northwest’s ability to recruit, retain and engage students; and providing enhanced community partnership opportunities and economic development outcomes.
The planned 137,250 square-foot facility, which will be located just northwest of College Park and Bearcat Stadium, is expected to include recreation and exhibition space, an indoor flooring system, 90-yard practice turf, 300-meter indoor competition track, spectator seating and tiered meeting rooms.
The center has the potential to host a variety of University and community activities year-round in addition to serving as a practice facility for athletics teams. Club sports and student organizations at Northwest will actively use the facility. It may also host intercollegiate and high school track meets, community fundraisers, exhibitions, trade shows and business gatherings. A third-party economic impact study reported the center could provide an additional economic development impact of $23.8 million, the equivalent of creating 946 new jobs, for the region.
Northwest Vice President of Finance Stacy Carrick said four pre‐qualified construction firms bid on the project, and an evaluation committee recommended that E.L. Crawford Construction be awarded the construction contract.
The cost to build and equip the facility is estimated at $18,775,000, Carrick said. The estimated total costs for the project, including estimated financing costs, is $21,075,000.
Donors have committed about $12.9 million to the project so far through pledge agreements secured by the Northwest Foundation and led by a “Founding 50” team of lead donors who have committed gifts of $50,000 or greater to the project. A remaining $500,000 gap must be raised in the coming year to complete the facility.
Remaining costs, Carrick noted, will be funded from multiple sources including the University, students and a portion of the city’s transient guest tax. The University and its student-based funding is addressing $7.5 million in funding for the project, and Maryville residents voted in November to approve the transient guest tax.
Northwest will break ground on the facility with a ceremony planned for June 15. A grand opening is targeted for August 2018.