UI to replace Van Allen Hall stairs

Van Allen Hall will receive a replacement of its stairs at select entrances and a new ADA ramp with an estimated cost of almost $500,000.

Alex Snyder

Van Allen Hall Eastside staircase seen on March 7, 2023.

Jack Moore, News Reporter
March 7, 2023

Van Allen Hall will soon see significant construction changes in the coming months. 

An estimated $475,053 will be spent on the replacement of stairs of select entrances as well as adding a ramp that is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act at Van Allen Hall. 

The entrances that will see stair replacements include 5A/5B and 6A/6B. The ADA ramp will be constructed at Entrance 6.

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The construction project is in the design phase and has a bidding date of March 16. The architect for this project is Legat Architects Inc., which added a studio in the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall in 2021. The project is expected to be completed in August 2023. 

Located at 30 N. Dubuque St., Van Allen Hall was constructed in 1964 and named after UI physicist James A. Van Allen. 

Allen served as the head of the physics department from 1951 to 1985, where he contributed to the program. After Allen’s retirement in 1986, Van Allen Hall continues to be the center of the astronomy and physics department at UI.