IU Responds to CIB's $5M For Natatorium

The Capital Improvement Board signed off on $5 million for maintenance of IUPUI’s Natatorium.

The move is drawing criticism because opponents don’t think city tax payers should be on the hook for maintenance of a state owned facility. Instead, they want Indiana University to pay for those projects.

But, Vice President for Capital Planning Tom Morrison says the city should contribute because it’s the biggest beneficiary.

"It can't be the students of IUPUI who pay for its upkeep, because they aren't benefitting from it," said Morrison.  "They are in terms of some open swim activities and things like that, but the competitions that go on there are to attract events to the city.  It's not for the benefit of our students at IUPUI, so our students shouldn't have to pay for it."

The CIB money is for a maintenance reserve fund.

There is another $20 million from IU and the Lilly Endowment allocated for renovations projects on the Natatorium and the city is contributing an additional ten million for road projects near the IUPUI campus.