The University of Iowa’s new wrestling facility is getting some upgrades, and its construction hasn’t even started yet.

According to Board of Regents documents, “Carver Circle” will cost about $26.5 million to build — $3.43 million to design, $20 million to construct, and $995,000 to equip and furnish. The budget also has about $2 million built in for contingencies.

Iowa Athletics originally anticipated a project cost between $17-20 million when it was announced in January 2020. As of July 13, 2020, the Hawkeyes wrestling program had raised about $10.5 million for the new facility. 

No state taxpayer or University of Iowa student will involuntarily pay for the training center. Iowa Athletics and Board of Regents documents indicate Carver Circle will be 100 percent funded by gifts to the UI Athletics Department.

When it’s completed, Carver Circle will be about 38,500 square feet in size. The two-level complex will include men’s and women’s locker rooms, strength and conditioning space, training and therapy rooms, a sauna, and wrestling operations offices. 

The facility will boast a steel-framed structure, concrete foundation, and steel-stud framed walls. Carver Circle will also have HVAC, fire suppression, electrical, plumbing, and telecommunications in place.

The building’s estimated annual operating cost is about $190,000.

Carver Circle will be located near Carver-Hawkeye Arena’s south entrance. The land the building will sit on is currently occupied by trees. So, the trees will have to be cleared and the land will need to be leveled before construction can begin.

A tunnel will connect Carver Circle and Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Board of Regents documents show that hand-mining and traditional excavation techniques will be used to form the tunnel.

Construction on Carver Circle is supposed to begin in June 2022 and be completed in April 2024.

Both the Hawkeye men’s and women’s wrestling teams will use the new facility. The Iowa women’s wrestling team will begin competing in 2023-24 — though some of the athletes in the Hawkeyes’ 2022 recruiting class will wrestle unattached in 2022-23. 

“We’re still raising money,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said on Wednesday afternoon. “We didn’t stop raising money at $17 million. This is a very important piece of Iowa Athletics’ future, and we gotta do it right.

“We’re doing it right,” Brands added. “Our administration is doing it right. We’ve looked at this thing with our foundation, with [Assistant Athletics Director of Development] Kevin Collins and his team in a very serious manner from the very, very beginning. This was never something that was taken for granted … It looks like we are gonna be going next week to the Board of Regents, and it seems like there could be some good news. We’re excited about that.”

Carver Circle will be the second major addition to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The arena’s 2011 addition came with a $43 million price tag for Iowa Athletics and created more office space for athletics staff and extra training and practice areas for athletes.

The 2011 addition added new space for the men’s wrestling team to practice — the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex.