The regents gave UM the green light for both proposals Thursday afternoon at their board meeting in Missoula, saying the projects warrant more investigation.
Plans for both projects remain in a “conceptual stage,” and now, with the regents' approval, UM will move forward nailing down the financial details.
If it doesn't make financial sense to purchase the golf course - if there is no cash flow - UM will not ask the foundation to buy it, Dennison said.
As he explained to regents, the foundation would purchase the course for about $500,000, and UM would buy it back by reimbursing the foundation over time.
UM is exploring the possible purchase because of the timing and opportunity.
Developing UM's South Campus, which is currently home to UM's golf course, is inevitable as the school continues to grow, Dennison said.
Richard Hoffmaster, owner of Highlands, is willing to sell his course to UM in a deal that is part sale and part donation. The estimated value of Highlands is about $1 million, and because of an easement the property cannot be developed.
Dottie Servis, a longtime Missoula golfer and said she is puzzled by UM's interest in the course. Two years ago, when UM proposed to build condominiums on the campus golf course and do away with golf altogether, Servis was among the many local residents who voiced their displeasure.
Developing UM's golf course into homes for people who aren't students, she believed, was illegal and flat out wrong. UM's current proposal to purchase Highlands, she said, is not only wrong, it's not a good investment.
“I think it would be a terrible waste of university money,” Servis said. “I doubt it makes money.”
Servis doesn't believe UM should be in the business of buying a golf course, let alone one that is inferior to the one it already owns. She takes issue with the fact that Highlands is on a hill, is difficult to play, requires a golf cart to navigate and doesn't have the amenities of the current course, which include a driving range, a clubhouse and food service.
“The point is,” she said, “it comes across as, ‘We're going to take away your nice golf course, but we found another one for you.' They haven't found another one for us.”
Regarding the golf course UM does own, Servis said: “The university has the right to destroy that lovely golf course and build academic buildings or student housing. Any legitimate academic use, we can't make objections as we did two years ago - that was for an illegal purpose. (But) it's still a disastrous thing for the community for the university to blithely destroy that course.”
Dennison politely considered Servis' remarks and, when she concluded, assured her that the development of South Campus is years away.
“Nothing will happen on that land until regents approve of future plans for that property,” Dennison said. “There will be a master plan, and it will be developed for the needs of the campus.”
While that plan has yet to be drawn, the opportunity to purchase Highlands has presented itself and it seems only prudent to explore its possibilities, Dennison said.
Andrea Helling, president of UM's student government, said she thinks the exploration is a good idea.
“From a student point of view, from a personal view, I appreciate the university looking to find another golf course,” Helling told the regents. “We are out of space here, and eventually our South Campus will have to be built on. I support this conceptual view to purchase the golf course.”
As with the golf course, Dennison assured regents that UM will research its fiscal risk and market demand for a proposal to add 4,000 seats to Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
While UM continues to talk about the project with UM's student government leaders, the current plan is to ask students to approve a $17.50-per-semester athletic fee increase to help fund the additional seats.
In return for the increased fee, students would gain 1,600 student seats.
“There is no question about demand,” Dennison said. “We sell out virtually every game.”
Dennison would like conversations with student senators to move forward and for the discussions to come to an agreement.
If students don't agree with the fee increase, he said, then UM would consider other funding options.
Student Regent Heather O'Loughlin expressed concern over the fee increase and encouraged Dennison and his staff to explore options that would not place such a large financial burden on students.
How much football tickets will increase remains unknown, as do most of the details regarding the proposed expansion, Dennison said. Nevertheless, the goal is to fit the project into a five-year payoff plan.
“When we have it paid off, the (student) fee sunsets and goes away,” he said. “That will be part of the agreement.”
Dennison thanked the board for its time and promised to return at a future meeting with more information.
“We'll be back,” he said.
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