$30.2 million cost approved for Bulldogs’ indoor facility

Georgia’s new indoor facility is a go. It also has an official price tag, along with a plan on how to pay for it.

The UGA athletic board unanimously approved, via teleconference on Monday, a plan presented by Athletics Director Greg McGarity to proceed with the building once the coming football season is over. It will be located adjacent to the Butts-Mehre complex, on the current site of the team’s outdoor grass fields.

The board approved a cost of $30.2 million for the project, half drawn from the athletics department’s reserve fund and the other half via fundraising.

“Getting the $15 million raised as quickly as possible would be optimal,” UGA president Jere Morehead said during the call.

The Board of Regents, which oversees all state universities, still must formally approve the project in a few weeks. But UGA can now start a full-fledged fundraising campaign now that the project has been formally green-lighted.

McGarity said there were already some “verbal pledges” for the project. Ideally the facility would be named for someone who provided a large donation.

McGarity added he would hope to raise even more than $15.1 million to help fund other facility projects for other sports the school hopes to build. Any extra money from the football facility fundraising could be put toward those other projects.

No timetable was given by McGarity, but the project is not expected to be completed in time for the 2016 season. The goal is to “absolutely” have a groundbreaking date this December, McGarity said.

In the meantime, the football team will have to practice elsewhere for probably all of next year. The location for those practices hasn’t been determined.