A proposed $34 million renovation to Iowa State’s recreation services could mean student fees will increase by as much as $100 per semester.

The future of the changes will begin with an online vote among the student body and will then move to the senate floor of the Government of the Student Body. If the vote does pass the student body and GSB, the matter will then fall upon the ears of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate before heading to ISU President Gregory Geoffroy and the Board of Regents.

Students will face a $20 fee, which will cover bond purchases, air conditioning in Lied Recreation Athletic Center and all start-up costs, for the first two years leading up to 2011. At that time, all renovations and additions to Beyer Hall and State Gym are scheduled to conclude, and fees will be hiked an additional $87 to $107 per semester per student to cover the costs of the projects.

If things go according to plans with the voting bodies, Garry Greenlee, associate director of recreation services, said the first part of the project – installing air conditioning in Lied Recreation Athletic Center – will be completed by 2009. He also said students will not be required to pay the newly increased recreation services fee until the first leg of the project is completed.

“If there are positive votes and things go as planned, we hope to have the Lied rec center updated by the summer of 2009,” Greenlee said. “‘According to plans’ is the crucial part because it depends on the voting bodies and how soon the information can be gathered to present to the president and the Board of Regents.”

GSB President Brian Phillips, senior in political science, said he has heard mixed reviews of the proposal, but the changes are definitely needed.

“I’ve heard criticisms, but I’ve also talked to a lot of people who are in support of it,” Phillips said. “In my opinion, these plans are way behind what they should be. Lied is an overworked facility, the winters there are bad and the summers are almost unbearable.”

Phillips said Iowa State has lower fees than the University of Iowa and Northern Iowa.

“For what we get, we pay next to nothing for our rec services,” Phillips said.

Some of the specific additions to be made to State Gym include 92,320 square feet of new space, a 16,000-square-foot weight and fitness addition and a 40-foot rock climbing wall. Beyer Hall’s additions will not be as extensive – renovated locker rooms, a new lobby area and two new multipurpose rooms.

While the project encompasses a large amount of change, Phillips said there is still more that can be done to improve Iowa State’s facilities. He said the renovations will help draw students to the university after the revamping process is completed.

“Right now, $34 million certainly seems like a hefty cost, but if you compare the proposed fee increases to the cost of a fitness club, it’s actually very reasonable,” Phillips said. “In the future, the amenities of this university will help draw students to enroll here.”