The Big House will be even bigger by 2010.

The University's Board of Regents approved a project to renovate the Michigan Stadium with a 5-3 vote Friday morning. The $226 million renovation project includes the addition of luxury boxes as part of two new structures on the East and West sidelines.

The athletic department reserves will cover 10 percent of the project's cost.

The approval of 83 luxury boxes, or private suites, comes after eight months of heated debate over whether the elite nature of these boxes project an incorrect message about the University's values.

Critics of the project argue that the separation of wealthy fans in the luxury boxes from the crowd below suggests the University is more concerned with financial gain than a unified environment.

Friday's approval marks the closest decision by the Regents, who have voted nearly unanimously on the outcomes of more than 400 building projects. Regents opposed to the renovation plan are Laurence Deitch, Rebecca McGowan and Katherine White.

McGowan said she is concerned the project will spend "too much money on too few people."

Deitch said the project "screams of insensitivity" because Michigan's economy is doing so poorly. He proposed a $55 million to $60 million alternative option he believes would cover the necessary renovations.

A letter sent to the Regents in late March by former and current University officials and faculty members expressed opposition to the renovations.

University athletic director Bill Martin said the approval of the plan is in the best interest of Michigan athletics.

"We have frankly fallen behind in many of our facilities and we've got to address them," Martin said.

It will take at least a year to complete the design and obtain approval of the design from the Regents, Martin said.

In addition to luxury boxes, the renovated stadium will feature wider aisles and seats, new concessions and restrooms, a new press box, 3,180 outdoor and indoor club seats and 650 chairback seats - individual seats with back support and arm rests.

The renovated stadium, with a projected seating capacity of 108,251, will be able to accommodate nearly 1,000 more fans than the current stadium.

The idea to renovate the stadium spawned from a report on deficiencies of University sports facilities, such as the Big House.

Martin said the construction will be complete by 2010 and will not interrupt any football games.

The Regents did not originally intend to discuss the proposed renovations to the Big House during the meeting.

University spokeswoman Julie Peterson said President Mary Sue Coleman's questions about the project - which had prevented the Regents from voting on the renovations - were answered in time to add the issue to the meeting's agenda on Thursday.

Coleman found no benefit in further delaying the discussion, Peterson said.

The architecture firm, HNTB Architecture, was also officially hired Friday to begin the project.