St. Ambrose University (The “University”) Is a Private, Catholic, Coeducational, Liberal Arts Institution of Higher Education
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Current Situation General: St. Ambrose University (the “University”) is a private, Catholic, coeducational, liberal arts institution of higher education. The University is organized as an Iowa nonprofit corporation and is a tax-exempt charitable organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The St. Vincent’s Center campus of the University is located at 780 West Central Park (this is the address of the Diocese of Davenport) and is bounded by Assumption High School to the west, the Duck Creek Parkway to the north, West Central Park Avenue to the south and residential neighborhoods and the Western Avenue alley to the east. Enrollment: The University’s enrollment has increased 19.2% since 2001, but total enrollment (FTE) has actually decreased 4.7% since 2007. The undergraduate enrollment has mirrored these numbers with total undergraduate enrollment increasing 27.3% since 2001 and decreasing 3.06% since 2007. Graduate enrollments are down 5.2% since 2001 and down 10.9% since 2007. A chart showing total enrollment, undergraduate enrollment and graduate enrollment is shown below: Future Projections In the spring and summer of 2010 the University went through a Strategic Enrollment Planning process to answer the question of how big the University should become over the next ten years (until 2021). This process was facilitated by Noel Levitz, a noted enrollment management firm. The end result of this process was a 2021 enrollment target of 4,250 students. The changes in enrollment are projected to be as follows (with 2010 as a base): Undergraduate - 2010 enrollment of 2,575 students to 2,750 students, a 6.8% increase. Graduate – 2010 enrollment of 850 students to 1,000 students, a 17.65% increase. Adult – 2010 enrollment of 250 students to 500 students, a 50.0% increase. Campus Facilities Master Plan In the fall of 2010 the University hired VOA and Associates Incorporated to prepare a campus facilities master plan. This plan was to identify the University’s facilities needs over the next 10 years, through 2021. This plan identified the following facilities needs over the next 10 years: One competition/practice soccer/football/lacrosse field with 300 seats for small events. Two practice football/soccer/lacrosse fields (while the plan calls for two fields, only one is included in the current Land Use Plan). Competition football/soccer stadium with a 400 meter competition track, 3,500 – 5,000 seats for spectators, press box, lights, and areas for locker rooms, concessions, storage, offices, meeting rooms, sports medicine and a weight room. While the plan calls for 3,500 – 5,000 seats, the current Land Use Plan only calls for 2,500 seats. Competition/practice softball field. Parking lots to accommodate 1,150 vehicles (for a 5,000 seat stadium). This has been scaled down as well to only include 500 surface parking spots and 75-100 grass spots as the seating capacity of the stadium has been reduced to 2,500 seats. A restroom and storage structure on the east side of the property. The University competes with 15 other private schools in the State of Iowa and 13 of these schools have a football program. 11 of these 13 schools have their own on-campus football stadium. These schools include (seating capacity is in parenthesis if known) Buena Vista University (3,000), Central College, Coe College (2,200), Cornell College (2,500), Drake University (18,000), Loras College, Luther College, Simpson College (5,000), University of Dubuque (4,000), William Penn University and Wartburg College (4,000). Two schools, Grand View and Iowa Wesleyan share a stadium with their local high schools. Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois competes in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). There are eight schools in the CCIW and they all have their own on-campus stadium. These schools along with their stadium capacities are following: North Park (3,000), North Central (5,500), Augustana (2,600), Wheaton (4,100), Millikin (4,000), Illinois Wesleyan (3,500), Elmhurst (2,500) and Carthage (4,000). The University often competes with these schools in recruiting students. Pictures of the private school stadiums in Iowa and Illinois can be seen in Appendix V. While the quality of some of these pictures is not good (we pulled them from the school’s websites), they still provide a good idea of the size and scope of these complexes. The University has 23 varsity sports, over 700 athletes and a very active intramural program. With only one on- campus athletic field, the University’s athletic teams practice and play at nearly 20 off-campus sites. Simply put, the University must add a sports complex and competition stadium to continue to compete for high school seniors in the Iowa and Illinois region. It is also important to note the St. Vincent’s Property already includes many athletic fields. See Appendix II, sheet 2 of 8. They include two practice football fields, a soccer field that is used for practices by the University and for practices and games by Assumption High School (AHS) and a softball field that is used by both the University and AHS for games and practices. One of the practice football fields, the soccer field and the softball field are located west of the drainage way that separates the property. The other football practice field is located east of the drainage way. This does not take into account the athletic facilities at AHS that include two practice football fields (the track is not usable), a baseball field, tennis courts and other open areas for practice. The University’s Land Use Plan includes putting the competition football/soccer stadium where the current softball field, soccer field and practice football field are located. The practice football field is one of the lowest spots on the property and this allows the stadium to be placed in a spot where its profile can be diminished. This spot was also chosen as it is in the middle of the property. The tree line that separates the property in half shields the residential properties to the east of the complex and the entire width of the AHS property shields the residential property to the west. The softball complex will then be built to the north of the stadium. Its location also shields it from the residential properties to the east and west. On the east side of the property parking will be placed where the practice field currently sits and two practice fields will be built south of the parking lot. These improvements will be fenced in and separated from the east neighborhood by berms and landscaping. As noted below you will see that this complex is already being used to host practices and games for soccer, softball and football. Required Information Completed Application: See Appendix I Boundary Survey: A boundary survey was completed for this site in 2009 when the property was acquired. It can be found in Appendix II, sheet 2 of 8. The legal description of the property to be re-zoned is St. Vincent’s Home 1st Addition, Lot 1 and St. Vincent’s Home Addition, Lot 4. They are parcels B0003-01A and B0029-04A. We are also only asking for a portion of this parcel to be re-zoned. The portion to be re-zoned can be seen in Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8. The legal description of the property to be re-zoned is as follows: Part of the West Half of the Northeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter; also part of the Southeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of Section 23, Township 78 North, Range 3 East of the 5th Principal Meridian; all in the City of Davenport, County of Scott, State of Iowa, more particularly described as follows: Commencing at the Northeast Corner of the Northwest Quarter of said Section 23; Thence South 87 degrees 58 minutes 03 seconds West along the North Line of the Northeast Quarter of said Northwest Quarter, a distance of 675.84 feet to the Northwest Corner of 32nd Street Right-of-Way; Thence South 00 degrees 57 minutes 26 minutes East along the West Line of the West Half of the Northeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of said Section 23, a distance of 1,319.37 feet to the South Right-of-Way Line of 28 1/2 Street(Baker Lane) and the POINT OF BEGINNING; Thence North 87 degrees 55 minutes 21 seconds East along said South Right-of-Way Line, a distance of 649.77 feet to the West Right-of-Way Line of Western Avenue; Thence South 01 degrees 02 minutes 41 seconds East along said Right-of-Way Line, a distance of 203.73 feet to the South Right-of-Way Line of West Garfield; Thence North 88 degrees 26 minutes 55 seconds East along said Right-of-Way, a distance of 13.00 feet to the West Line of a 12 foot Alley as recorded in Warranty Deed, TLD Book 144, Page 443 in the Scott County Recorder’s Office; Thence South 01 degrees 02 minutes 41 seconds East along said West Line, a distance of 866.95 feet; Thence South 88 degrees 57 minutes 19 seconds West, a distance of 327.06 feet; Thence South 01 degrees 11 minutes 22 seconds East, a distance of 209.84 feet; Thence South 88 degrees 06 minutes 57 seconds West, a distance of 215.67 feet; Thence North 00 degrees 02 minutes 17 seconds East, a distance of 232.67 feet; Thence North 88 degrees 48 minutes 38 seconds East, a distance of 210.67 feet; Thence North 01 degrees 11 minutes 22 seconds West, a distance of 516.84 feet; Thence South 88 degrees 04 minutes 34 seconds West, a distance of 491.17 feet; Thence South 00 degrees 35 minutes 57 seconds West, a distance of 240.03 feet; Thence South 88 degrees 59 minutes 45 seconds West, a distance of 481.76 feet to the West Line of the East Half of the Northwest Quarter of said Section 23; Thence North 01 degrees 00 minutes 22 seconds West along said West Line, a distance of 1,543.22 feet; Thence North 88 degrees 30 minutes 49 seconds East, a distance of 442.89 feet; Thence South 01 degrees 09 minutes 40 seconds East, a distance of 781.25 feet to the westerly extension of the South Right-of-Way Line of 28 1/2 Street (Baker Lane); Thence North 87 degrees 55 minutes 21 seconds East along the westerly extension said south Right-of- Way line, a distance of 200.06 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING.