Feb. 20, 2013

WASHINGTON - Georgetown University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed announced today that fundraising targets have been met and the University's Board of Directors Finance Committee has authorized funding to begin the full design phase for the Intercollegiate Athletics Center.

The IAC will provide Georgetown's 750 student-athletes with practice gymnasiums, an academic center and spaces for strength and conditioning, sports medicine and additional locker rooms. The 134,000-square-foot building will be the first new athletics facility on campus in more than 60 years.

"The authorization to pursue the full design of the IAC is an affirmation of the central role that athletics play at Georgetown, not only for our talented student-athletes, but for the entire university community," said Reed.

The IAC is the largest remaining facilities goal in the university's $1.5 billion fundraising campaign, For Generations to Come. Athletics' total campaign goal is $125 million, of which $60 million is dedicated to constructing the IAC. More than $20 million has been raised toward the IAC's fundraising goal.

"While this important milestone is a testament to the fundraising progress for the IAC to date, this building must meet the same high fundraising goals as other recent capital projects if it is to proceed on a fast schedule," said Reed. "We need as many philanthropic players as possible on the donor team to be successful in our efforts."

Costs associated with obtaining the construction documents were built into the IAC's fundraising plan; the university has met the fundraising goals required to begin the construction documentation phase and implement the facility's design. The full design work will cost $5 million and take approximately 9 months to complete.

"This action brings us one step closer to construction of this vital project. The Intercollegiate Athletics Center is essential to assuring the continued competitiveness of Georgetown's athletics program," Reed said. "Opening the IAC will benefit every athlete and program at Georgetown well into the future."

The IAC follows a number of recently constructed buildings on campus, including the Rafik B. Hariri Building, the new home for the McDonough School of Business, and Regents Hall, the new Main Campus science center.