ISU President Gregory Geoffroy approved the proposed recreation renovations and will ask the Iowa Board of Regents for permission to proceed with the final phase of approval.

After campuswide voting came back in favor of the proposed renovation project, the board will decide during its April 30 session whether or not to approve the planning and programming phase of the proposal.

“After a thorough examination, the committee recommended approval of this project, and the majority of students who voted in last month’s referendum also favored the project,” Geoffroy said in a press release. “We’re hopeful the regents will give us the go-ahead to continue planning.”

Since the conception of the project, ISU administrators have said student involvement in the process is one of the university’s top priorities. The Special Student Fee and Commission Committee proposed the planning recommendations to Geoffroy and will continue to oversee the process.

“If the board gives the go-ahead for planning, another committee made up largely of students will work on the detailed planning for building design and will accept student body comments and suggestions,” said John McCarroll, executive director of university relations.

The April 30 presentation to the Board of Regents regarding construction will mark the first time the proposal has gone before the board. If the initial planning is approved, work will begin to choose an architect and create a design for new structures and building fundamentals.

“The unanimous decision by the student committees involved in initiating work on the new recreation center is just the beginning,” said Warren Madden, vice president of business and finance. “Proposals to the board will be involved in the process at least two, maybe three, times as the student-based committees plan actual design details.”

Although the Government of the Student Body voted in favor of the proposal, the Graduate and Professional Student Senate voted against the proposed renovations – meaning there was not a universal consensus among the university bodies that voted on the proposal.

Once the Board of Regents makes its ruling, all committees involved with the project will prepare a schematic design plan for renovation and will approach the board once again.

“We hope to be as expedient as possible so planning and design proposals can be determined before students leave campus for summer break,” Madden said. “This is largely their project, and there will be lots of opportunity for input.”