Central Washington University Board of Trustees Work Session November 2, ) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Tomlinson Stadium Upgrades

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1 Central Washington University Board of Trustees Work Session November 2, ) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Tomlinson Stadium Upgrades Tomlinson Stadium, constructed in 1959, is the home of the Wildcat Football and Track & Field programs. The playing surface is natural grass and is surrounded by a 400-meter rubberized track that has not been resurfaced since 1992, 25 years ago; the life expectancy for the surface is 10 to 12 years. The track is beyond repair, with large breaks in the surface which emanate from cracks in the foundation of the track. Inside edges of the track have deteriorated into the actual inside lane line and the lane itself, and the rubberized surface has deteriorated and hardened, leaving very limited elasticity and cushion on the surface. All of these issues have resulted in a track that is not only beyond reasonable repair, but also unsuitable for safe competition and out of compliance with NCAA competition guidelines. CWU no longer is able to host any competition track meets. Tomlinson Stadium s lack of lighting limits use of the facility to daylight hours. Its natural grass surface makes it susceptible to adverse weather conditions and forces the university to restrict use of the stadium s playing surface to preserve it for the five to six home football games per year. The field is too small to accommodate varsity soccer or rugby competitions. With the construction of a new track in the Recreation Expansion project, the existing track at Tomlinson can be removed from the perimeter of the existing field. Removing the track will permit the expansion of the playing surface to accommodate four varsity sport programs (football, women s soccer, women s rugby, and men s rugby), while significantly increasing the utility of the stadium with the addition of an artificial/synthetic turf surface and stadium lighting. These upgrades will also better position the university to be considered a host site for high school and Washington Interscholastic Activities Association post-season football and soccer games, as well as collegiate conference, regional, and national games. Since Tomlinson Stadium already hosts events with high attendance (4,000-5,000), we do not foresee any issues or need for any additional parking associated with the upgrades. The approximate cost of the Tomlinson upgrades is $4 million, which will be funded by the CWU Foundation. To date, the Foundation has received $2 million in cash and pledges. The remainder of the funds will be privately raised and financed due to the structure of many of the gifts, i.e., multi-year pledge payments. The priority of the Tomlinson Stadium upgrades are as follows: 1. Stadium Lighting 2. Artificial/Synthetic Turf 3. Field Perimeter Fencing 4. Entry Gates, Ticket Booths, Facility Perimeter Fencing 5. Restrooms & Concessions 6. Wildcat Plaza 7. Visitor Bleachers 1

2 2.) DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION Tomlinson Stadium Upgrades As noted in the Executive Summary, the main upgrades to Tomlinson Stadium will be the installation of stadium lighting and artificial/synthetic turf. Although it is anticipated that the design consultant (A&E) will provide the expertise needed for all the proper specifications and best practices for the entire project, the following are general components/elements of the project. Demolition and Removal of Existing Track and Natural Grass Surface: The upgrades will require the demolition and removal of the existing track and base material, irrigation system, natural grass surface. It is assumed that excavation and rough grading will be required prior to trenching for all electrical and Internet needs (stadium lights, ticket booths, etc.) on the east side of the stadium. Stadium Lighting; There are variety of sports lighting and electrical designs for outdoor athletic facilities available in today s marketplace. Advances in technology of illumination systems have improved the quality of lighting for player safety; reduced energy, maintenance and life-cycle costs; and reduced light pollution (spill) and glare. Although the upfront cost of LED (Light Emitting Diode) compared to Metal Halide is higher, the longterm cost savings due to life-cycle, maintenance, and reduced energy is significant. LED also allows for extreme cut-off, i.e., reduced light spill into surrounding areas. Initial plans contemplate a six-pole light system. Given the multi-sport use of the facility, the sports with the highest foot-candle recommendations are football and soccer at 75. Moreover, the NCAA recommends 75 foot-candles for football facilities with 5,000+ capacity. Artificial/Synthetic Turf: There are a number of artificial/synthetic turf systems and manufacturers, most of which use a synthetic fiber and infill mixtures of sand and granules of recycled rubber that provides traction and cushioning. These fields are generally laid over a crushed aggregate base with a drainage system on top of the natural subgrade. The turf field must meet NCAA Championship size specifications for football and soccer, and meet World Rugby IRB Regulation 22 1 and Law 1 of Laws of the Game 2 for size and impact specifications for rugby competition fields. Regular maintenance requirements for artificial/synthetic turf surfaces consist primarily of brushing, compaction relief, and redistribution of infill. This is minimal in comparison to the regular maintenance required for natural grass fields--watering, mowing, fertilizing, aerating, and lining. Field Perimeter Fencing: Coated chain-link fencing, 48 inches in height, will be installed around the perimeter of the playing surface for field security and fan control. Entrance Gates, Ticket Booths, and Facility Perimeter Fencing: Four entrance gates will be constructed at each corner of the facility. The two gates on the west (home grandstands) side of the stadium will serve as main entrances and the other two gates on the east side of the stadium will serve as auxiliary entrances. The main gates will have two ticket booths per gate and will be equipped with electricity and Internet and/or wireless for access to ticketing system. The auxiliary entrances will have one ticket booth per gate that is equally equipped to access ticketing system. The entire facility will have eight-foot perimeter fencing to fully secure the facility. 1 Regulation 22 articulates the standards relating to the use of artificial rugby turf. 2 Rule 1 defines the field of play for international rugby.

3 Restrooms & Concessions: Upgrades will include a complete renovation, retrofit, or new construction of the restrooms and concessions facility located in the southwest corner of the stadium. Given the capacity of the facility, the current number of urinals/stalls in both the women s and men s restrooms is highly inadequate. The design consultant will be able to provide what is required based on best practices and/or Washington code. The current concessions operation at Tomlinson is limited. A better design and location that does not interfere with pedestrian traffic is among the renovation priorities. Wildcat Plaza: A plaza located on the south end of the stadium will be constructed and used for celebrating CWU Athletics. The plaza will feature a flag pole configuration, existing score board, and donor recognition, e.g. named bricks, donor wall, plaques, etc. This would also be an ideal location for a wildcat bronze, similar to the bronze located at the main entrance of the SURC. Visitor Bleachers: As part of the upgrades to Tomlinson, permanent elevated bleachers with seating capacity of 1,000 will be installed for visiting spectators on the east side of the field. This would expand the permanent seating capacity of the stadium to 5,000. Recreation Expansion & Tomlinson Project Committee A committee was formed to develop initial plans and pro forma for both the Recreation Expansion and Tomlinson Stadium projects, the members are as follows: Name Linda Schactler Dennis Francois Bill Yarwood Bob Ford Corey Sinclair Eric Bradshaw Gary Hyatt Hunter Slyfield Jenna Hyatt Joanne Hillemann Jocelyn Matheny* Joel Klucking Joseph Han Joseph Pearson Kevin Adkisson Lathan Wedin Title Chief of Staff, North Campus Projects Coordinator Director of Athletics, Project Lead Executive Director Facilities Mgmt. Senior Director Alumni & Constitution Relations Asst. Director Competitive Sports & Camp FMD Grounds Supervisor Assoc. Athletic Director Mechanical Engineer, CPP Associate Dean for Student Living Manager, Facilities Planning and Construction VP Student Life & Facilities VP Business & Financial Affairs VP Operations Director Auxiliary Operations Senior Head Coach Athletics Director of Planning & Projects

4 Michael Montgomery Patrick Stanton Scott Carlson Scott Wade Assist. Director University Recreation Financial Controller Program Coordinator, CPP VP University Advancement 3.) FINANCES Capital Cost $ 4,000,000 Tomlinson Field Improvements Differential Analysis - Effects of Project on Operating Costs Year 1-5 Year 6-10 Year Year Year Year Revenues $ 49,436 $ 56,007 $ 53,334 $ 72,329 $ 82,677 $ 83,093 Expenses Event Expenses 44,492 50,406 48,001 65,096 74,409 74,784 Utilities 61,335 78,280 99, , , ,700 Maintenance (21,237) (24,619) (28,540) (33,086) (38,356) (44,465) Equipment 12,500 13,262 16,310 17,431 21,919 23,426 Turf Renewal 454, , , , , ,897 Total Expenses $ 551,649 $ 599,596 $ 728,774 $ 810,843 $ 1,017,783 $ 1,113,343 Operating Income/(Loss) $ (502,213) $ (543,589) $ (675,440) $ (738,514) $ (935,106) $ (1,030,250) Net Present Value $ (2,703,664) The $4-million cost of the renovation will be funded by the CWU Foundation. Please see Appendix A, Tomlinson Pro forma , which displays the estimated financial implications of this project. The project is expected to be funded at $4 million. It is anticipated that the funding will come through a financial arrangement with the CWU Foundation, in the form of a gift to the university as funds are required for construction. It is important to note that CWU accrues no liability in this funding agreement; it involves no re-payment by CWU of the $4 million (e.g. bond or loan payment). Operating revenues are shown annually for the main external billable uses of the facility. The operating expenses shown include event expenses of approximately 90 percent of the revenue associated with the WIAA and GNAC events. The other main operating expenses considered include utilities, which are costs not currently experienced with the current facility. The new field lighting is estimated in this model to cost $10,000 annually and to increase over time. This is the cost associated with six new light poles at $200 each, operating 20 hours per month at the City of Ellensburg commercial rate. Telephone, cable and Internet services will be added as well. There is a possibility of having a contract for light repair, maintenance and replacements with the lighting vendor, as CWU does not have the equipment needed to perform this work. The costs of

5 mowing and watering the current field are subtracted here as the artificial turf will need a different type of maintenance shown on the line below. This maintenance involves a motorized vehicle like a lawn mower, which is listed on the row below as equipment. The number shown here is half the capital cost of the equipment, which likely also would be used to maintain the facility associated with the Recreation Expansion, funded by the Rec Center. Both this piece of equipment and the actual artificial turf will need to be on a replacement cycle of approximately 10 years. The amount shown as Turf Replacement represents the current cost of installation inflated until the replacement is needed. The Net Present Value figures is shown to demonstrate the cost of owning these improvements over a 30-year time period. That is to say, the cost of operating and maintaining improvements, which are effectively free to the Athletics program. The CWU Foundation has raised more than $2 million toward the $4 million required for this project, but has pledged to provide funds as needed for construction. The field turf will need to be replaced every 10 years, depending on condition, and there has been no funding source identified yet to meet this need. Also, there is new annual operating budget pressure on the Athletics program to fund operating and maintaining the facility. However, the risks associated with not pursuing this renovation are significant. The stadium, now nearly 60 years old, is in disrepair. Both its appearance and its actual condition compromise the credibility as well as the quality of CWU Athletics and the experience of visitors, the community, alumni, and students at CWU whether on the field or on the stands. The quality of Tomlinson is far below many of the high schools whose graduates CWU enrolls. The facility no longer meets the expectations of students, alumni, or high school and collegiate athletic conferences.

6 4.) VISUALS Current Condition of the Track in Tomlinson Stadium Urinal and Hand Washing Station, Men s Restroom in Tomlinson

7 Concessions Stand in Tomlinson (Attached to Restrooms) Ticket Booths and Main Entrance Gate to Tomlinson Stadium Artist Rendering of Tomlinson Stadium (Looking NW from the SE)

8 PROJECT TIMELINE