Northwest Regents vote to authorize construction contract, naming for multipurpose facility; construction to begin in June

The Northwest Missouri State University Board of Regents approved the university’s plans to construct a multipurpose facility on the campus and authorized Northwest to award the construction contract to EL Crawford Construction Inc. during the May 22 meeting.

The board authorized the construction project not to exceed $18,775,000, while the contract awarded to EL Crawford, based in St. Joseph, is worth $15,243,000.

In a related agenda item, the Regents approved the facility to be named for the Carl and Cheryl Hughes family, Blue Springs, 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 project represents the single largest public-private partnership in Northwest’s 112-year history and one of the largest such projects in the region ever.

“The Board of Regents’ support is significant and strategic, as we continue progress related to our strategic plan, campus master plan and Forever Green campaign for Northwest,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “This facility has been cited since 2012 as a strategic need and we have seen a depth and breadth of stakeholders step forward along the way to bring us to this monumental moment. As a University of champions with a rich and deep history, we are thankful for continued strategic thought leadership from our Board of Regents, excited by ongoing marketplace elevation and focused on the future through university-wide and community-based impacts.”

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.

Staying true to Northwest’s history of sustainability and energy management, Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certification is a goal of the facility which has been designed and constructed according to modern sustainability standards. 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 EL Crawford Construction be awarded the construction contract.

While the cost to build and equip the facility is estimated at $18,775,000, the estimated total costs for the project, including estimated financing costs, is $21,075,000, noted Carrick.

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.

“This project has allowed our foundation to secure unprecedented major gifts beyond expectations,” Northwest Vice President of University Advancement Mike Johnson said. “Our champions have guided and inspired others to make their best gifts to Northwest and we are eternally grateful to our Founding 50 teammates who have and continue to invest in this state-of-the-art facility. Family comes first with Carl and Cheryl Hughes and the Bearcat family is a true winner of their championship generosity.”

The remaining $7.5 million, Carrick noted, will be funded from multiple sources including the university, students and a portion of the Maryville 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.

The Regents approved a revenue bonds series through a private placement with Nodaway Valley Bank not to exceed $11.5 million for the financing of the facility.

Other business addressed included transferring reserve dollars not to exceed $2.8 million from the education and general funds in the 2017 budget to the operating budget to allow for a balanced budget. Carrick noted there would still be 12 million in reserves. The Regents also approved revisions to the academic calendar for the online professional program and the Regent meeting schedule for the 2017-18 year.

The Regents held a closed session for the topics of litigation, real estate dealings and personnel.