Project moving forward for new MU basketball arena

COLUMBIA -- What you're about to read is a new initiative that we have undertaken to bring you up to date with certain issues involving the Department of Athletics at the University of Missouri. Our plan is to distribute this column once a month to newspapers around the state.

Before we get started, I'd like to take a minute to thank Bill Miller of the Washington Missourian, and Doug Crews of the Missouri Press Association for their help. They were both instrumental in suggesting and implementing this plan.

Probably the one issue I get the most questions about at this time concerns our well-publicized efforts to build a new arena. No matter what you hear or see, I want to reassure everyone that we are continuing to move forward on the project.

Certainly, we feel from an institutional standpoint, we've done everything that's been required relative to moving this venture forward.

On Friday, October 5th, we received final approval from the MU Board of Curators to allow us as an institution to contract with an architectural firm. The architects we have selected to partner with are HOK and CDFM2 out of Kansas City.

We're also hopeful that the State will see fit to issue the previously approved bonds at a time when the rates are very favorable.

Even though the process has taken longer than we had anticipated, I think relative to the support we have received from the Curators, from the House, from the Senate and from the Governor, the institution, our major donor to the project and our donor base are all committed to seeing this project come together in time for us to move into the facility in time for the 2004-05 season.

The bottom line is that it's going to be a great day for the University and for Missouri Basketball, but it will really be a great day for the State of Missouri when this project is completed.

While the basketball arena might garner most of the headlines, there is another very important facility project that we're working toward right now, as well. It's one that will provide direct benefit to all students, faculty and staff at the University.

The University is looking to complete a student-recreation complex, which will be inclusive of a natatorium to be able to provide aquatics capabilities to all students at Mizzou, but of course it will also be of great benefit to our men's and women's swimming and diving programs.

We're looking forward to a vote from the students in a student referendum, and our hope is that they'll see this as a very viable addition to their facilities that they have on campus.

The referendum should go to students on Oct. 22nd. If it is approved, the new facility would result in an increase of student fees of just $75 per semester - roughly the cost of one text book - which is easily well within the acceptable range of student fees for recreation centers around the Big 12 Conference.

For just $75 per semester, we will have what is going to be considered as something that is critically important to higher education. It sounds strange, but it just isn't just about going to school anymore; it is also about quality of life, residence halls, student recreation complex, dining halls, and athletics programs, in addition to the classroom experience.

Thank-you for taking the time to read this column, I hope you found it informational. I look forward to visiting with you in the future, and also want to thank everyone who is so supportive of what we're working so hard to build at our great school.

If you have any questions or comments regarding Mizzou Athletics or the University of Missouri, please feel free to contact me at aldenm@missouri.edu.

Mike Alden is the Athletic Director at the University of Missouri in Columbia.