Coal Lodge upgrade included in budget proposal

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky’s 4-year-old Wildcat Coal Lodge, home of the men’s basketball team, could be heading for a renovation.

A $21 million renovation to the dormitory was included in Gov. Matt Bevin’s budget proposal released Tuesday, but the renovation would be funded by the athletic department, not state funds, UK spokesman Jay Blanton said. Just because the project was included in UK’s list of capital projects also does not mean it will definitely be completed during the two-year period the budget covers. The list covers all projects that could possibly be on the agenda for that period if circumstances permit.

“Any project over $600,000 where the university is going to use its own resources – so private donations, or cash it has on hand that it’s generated – we have to provide the state under law a list of any of those projects that we might do over the next two years if we have the cash,” Blanton said. “So the Coal Lodge is one of dozens of projects listed, and it was listed two years ago too.”

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The proposed renovation would center on a new dining facility for athletes living and practicing on the north side of campus. The current north-campus athletics training table is housed in the Blazer Hall dining facility, which will likely be closed after the completion of the new UK student center in January 2018.

Blanton said the athletics department is currently in the fundraising stage of the project and the progress of that fundraising effort will "determine the ultimate scope of the project."

The lodge opened in the fall of 2012, replacing the Joe B. Hall Wildcat Lodge. The building was funded in part by donations from the coal industry.

The budget proposal also included several other possible athletic department facility projects that would be funded by the department:

• Renovate/Upgrade Commonwealth Stadium – $6.5 million for “routine maintenance to the interior and exterior, structural and infrastructure upgrades and video and other technology improvements.”
• Expand Boone Tennis Center – $9.5 million to “expand the Boone Tennis Center by adding two additional indoor tennis courts; renovating and expanding men’s/women’s team locker/showers and meeting facilities; seating relocation to the ends of courts and event facilities for indoor and outdoor varsity courts.”
• Construct or Renovate/Upgrade Athletic Facility 1 – $5 million to “construct or renovate and upgrade an athletic facility to meet SEC and NCAA competition standards.”
• Improve Athletics Facilities I – $5 million to “renovate an athletics facility to include periodic upgrades and modernization of existing facilities and installation of modern graphics/IT technology to improve the fan experience and ensure that UK Athletics facilities are comparable to those of SEC and NCAA competitors.”
• Renovate Nutter Facility – $5 million to “renovate and upgrade the Nutter Facility when the football program relocates to its new training center in 2016.”
• Construct Hall of Fame Plaza – $4.5 million to “construct a UK Athletics Hall of Fame Plaza at the main entry to Memorial Coliseum. The plaza will be designed to recognize current and future Hall of Fame members, as well as enhance the military memorial aspect of Memorial Coliseum.”
• Acquire/Renovate Golf Facility – $4 million to “acquire or renovate a golf facility for UK student athletes.”
• Construct or Renovate/Upgrade Athletic Facility 2 – $3 million to “construct or renovate and upgrade an athletic facility to meet SEC and NCAA competition standards.”
• Improve Athletics Facilities II – $2 million to “renovate an athletics facility to include periodic upgrade and modernization of existing facilities and installation of modern graphics/IT technology to improve the fan experience and ensure that UK Athletics facilities are comparable to those of SEC and NCAA competitors.”
• Renovate/Upgrade Athletics Playing Fields 1 – $2 million to “renovate and upgrade the athletics field natural turf grass playing surface. This project may include replacement of the playing surface with synthetic as appropriate.”
• Renovate/Upgrade Athletics Playing Fields 2 – $2 million to “renovate and upgrade the athletics field natural turf grass playing surface. This project may include replacement of the playing surface with synthetic as appropriate.”
• Lease Off Campus (Athletics) – Acquisition of space “to accommodate activities for UK Athletics off campus as the facilities on campus are inadequate to meet all program needs. The proposed space will include but is not limited to space for training, practice, team meetings and competitions.”

One UK Athletics project that was not included in the governor's budget proposal was the long-rumored new baseball stadium. Blanton confirmed any proposed project that cost more than $15 million and was to be cash funded, including the baseball stadium, was excluded from the budget.

"As for other projects included or not included in the initial proposed list, the budget process has just started," Blanton said. "We will be working with the governor and legislators to make our case, and tell our story, for the importance of investment in UK at all levels."

Email Jon Hale atjahale@courier-journal.com. Follow him on Twitter@JonHale_CJ.