The Iowa Board of Regents approved Iowa State’s plans Thursday morning to proceed with its Jack Trice Stadium project, specifically, the bowling in of the south end zone.

Iowa State announced in November it had received a $25 million donation from Roy and Bobbi Reiman to help jumpstart a project that would enclose the south end zone at Jack Trice, something fans have clamored for in recent years.

In a presentation in front of the regents Feb. 6, which lasted about three minutes, Warren Madden, ISU senior vice president, said the goal remains to have the project completed by the 2015 season. He also added one new note: the goal is to reach a capacity of 60,000.

Currently, Jack Trice Stadium’s capacity is 56,800 with 12,000 of those being hillside seats. According to plans presented to the regents, the bowling in of the south end zone would include an upper-deck.

Madden said the end zone enclosure itself will cost an estimated $30 million. The south end of the stadium will also get a new scoreboard, probably similar to the current one on the north end, he said. 

“It’s an exciting opportunity,” Madden said. “There’s a demand for the expansion and the improvement (of Jack Trice Stadium).”

ISU Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said fans shouldn’t expect any renderings or further plans until early summer. Iowa State will work with HNTB Architecture Inc. and Neumann Monson Architects, who have also designed renovations to Kinnick Stadium and Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“We have a lot of work to do in a very short period of time, but it is also very exciting and energizing because we know how much this project means to Cyclone fans,” Pollard said in an email Thursday.

According to regent documents, in asking for approval by the regents to move forward with project planning, Iowa State said the current estimated cost would not exceed $60 million. Nearly half of that has been funded by the initial donation, and Iowa State said the rest would come from private giving and the athletic department.

Documents presented to the regents provide more information about Iowa State’s plans for the end zone and the overall project.

“[The project] would replace and renovate the existing south end zone seating, upgrade the south end zone concourse infrastructure, upgrade the stadium south video board and sound system components and construct additional premium seating [club, suite or lounge] and storage,” the document says.

Additionally, the document confirms the plan for an upper deck, saying the addition of an upper-level in the south end zone would, “provide an opportunity to increase the stadium’s capacity with noticeable aesthetic improvements.”

Madden told the regents the project allows for additional club seating, which he said there has been a growing demand for.

According to the documents, the project would also necessitate the reconfiguration of parking in the area and the development of new parking for student vehicles. Jack Trice parking lots are currently already used for student parking permits.

With the approval Feb. 6, The Weitz Company, which has provided construction management for past Jack Trice improvements, has been selected as the construction manager of the project. 

Staff writer Danielle Ferguson contributed to this report.