AMES, Iowa — The University of Iowa requested approval from the Iowa Board of Regents on Wednesday to proceed with project planning for two UI medical facilities and the schematic design, project description and budget for renovation, and construction of three campus buildings.
UI Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations Rod Lehnertz spoke on behalf of the university to propose the six projects to the board.
Project Planning
UI requested permission to proceed with project planning for multiple capital projects for the UI Health Care Medical Campus Downtown, which was acquired by the university following the closure of Mercy Iowa City in January, and a new Carver College of Medicine Research Facility.
The UI Health Care Medical Campus Downtown, or MCD, is in need of seven different projects at this time. The projects include medical office building renovation, hospital radiology equipment replacement and renovations, hospital operating room modernization, hospital facilities infrastructure replacements and upgrades, parking structure, hospital renovations, and miscellaneous renovations.
“When we purchased out of bankruptcy the Mercy space, we knew our work heading into that purchase — knew that there were multiple locations within the building that would need renewal work to operate effectively as part of our healthcare system,” Lehnertz said during his presentation to the board.
Each of the capital projects would be planned and proposed to the board on an individual basis, with their own project budget and timeline for completion. The estimated budget for each of the seven projects would be funded by University Hospital Building Usage Funds.
Lehnertz said it is hard to pinpoint a total overall cost at this point for the project, which is why they will continue to come back to the board with individual updates.
UIHC also proposed project planning to construct a new cancer research facility with the Carver College of Medicine, which would be funded by Gifts, University and Collegiate Funds, and University Hospital Building Usage Funds.
The proposed building is part of the 10-year facilities master plan, approved by the board in January 2022.
“This will definitely be — and we’re proud for it to be — a truly interdisciplinary, multi-college effort dedicated to cancer research,” Lehnertz said in the meeting.
UI Health Care is the only National Cancer Center in the state of Iowa, Lehnertz also noted.
Schematic Design, Project Description, and Budget
UI also sought the board’s approval to begin work on three facilities projects.
Lehnertz’ proposal to the board outlined the need for a new roof and renovations at the Performing Arts Annex.
The new roof is estimated to cost $2.1 million, and renovations are estimated to cost $9.9 million, both funded by P3 Strategic Initiative Funds.
The roof, which Lehnertz said had reached well past its effective life, would secure the interior of the building. Construction would take place from Fall 2024 until Spring 2025.
The renovations are intended for the UI’s dance program to be relocated from Halsey Hall to the Performing Arts Annex, which would improve studio space and centralize the program closer to the theater program.
“This is really part of the major strategic initiative to create that arts campus and to work on the central campus,” regent and former UI adjunct professor David Barker said.
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Lehnertz mentioned in the proposal that Hasley Hall is near the core of campus, but it is far off from the arts campus and not ADA accessible.
Upon approval, renovations will take place from March 2025 to May 2026.
Also proposed were renovations to the third and fifth floors of the Iowa Bioscience Innovation Facility to create new laboratories for medical and biosciences innovation.
At a budget of $13 million, $8.2 million of the funds will come from an Iowa Economic Development Authority Grant received in 2022, $2 million from the College of Public Health departmental funds, and the remaining $2.8 million from university funds.
Lehnertz said the project will modernize the two floors and “bring in the people and innovators who advance products, devices and techniques in the biosciences, to work at the very core of our health science campus with our folks to advance this.”
The final facility proposal recommended construction of a new 11,000 square foot utility services building, as well renovations to 5,500 square feet of the east side of the Madison Street Services Building.
Upon approval, the utility services building will be adjacent to the current Madison Street Services Building. The estimated cost of both projects is approximately $7.5 million, funded by Facilities Management Reserves and Utility Reserves.
The new utility services building would be housed by the ENGIE group, who currently reside in the Madison Street Services Building. Renovations in the Madison Street Service Building would allow a more current location for UI Facilities Management’s Landscape Services group.
UI has a partnership with ENGIE, who operates the university’s utility distribution unit, and must offer them physical storage space for equipment that benefits the university, as stated in their service agreement, Lehnertz said during the proposal.
Construction and renovations would take place from December 2024 to July 2025.