WATERLOO - Health services and fitness opportunities will have a higher profile at Hawkeye Community College in a proposed new building.

The Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved specifications and schematic designs for the $7.1 million Health Education and Services Center. The project will return to the board next month for a public hearing and bid award. Construction is expected to be completed in August 2010.

A 38,085-square-foot two-story building is planned for Hawkeye's northwest corner on Campus View Drive. Along with an expanded student health center and fitness facilities, it will include labs and classrooms for new occupational and physical therapy assisting programs to be offered at the college.

The health center will provide more space than the current 600-square-foot facility, which includes one examination room. Students, including those who are uninsured or under-insured, can receive services from immunizations to mental health counseling. The health center, labs, classrooms, office area, lobby and running track will be on the main level.

The lower level will include a competition-sized gymnasium with two cross courts, an area for fitness and weights that also will be used as a classroom, an aerobics room, locker rooms and a snack station. An upper level mezzanine will house the mechanical system plus small study and lounge areas. The building will use a geothermal heating and cooling system.

Galen Howsare, vice president of administration and finance, said $4 million of the funding will come from voter-approved general obligation bonds repaid with property tax money and accumulated interest. Other funding includes $500,000 through the Grow Iowa Value Fund, a $355,037 congressional appropriation, a $250,000 Black Hawk Gaming Association grant and $1.99 million from other public/private sources. Another federal appropriation of $236,620 received recently will reduce one of the funding sources or be used to purchase equipment for the building.

Road improvements

Trustees approved specifications and schematic designs for campus road improvements, as well. Bids will be awarded next month for that project.

The east entrance road and an adjacent portion of Campus View Drive will be reconstructed. The entrance area goes from East Orange Road to the Hawkeye Center parking lot. The Campus View section goes from the entrance road to just south of Arboretum Drive.

The college will receive $204,000 through the Department of Education's park and institutional roads program to pay for the reconstruction.

"We hope it will come in that (amount)," said Howsare. "But if not, we have to make up the rest." Bond funds totaling $84,000 are available for the project if necessary.

Contact Andrew Wind at (319) 291-1507 or andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.