This year marks the 100th year since the University of Iowa Iowa Memorial Union was constructed. In 2008, the building temporarily closed for flood mitigation and hasn’t undergone a major construction project since.
A decision by the Iowa Board of Regents in February means it will stay that way.
The regents delayed the first phase of the Iowa Memorial Union’s modernization process. The five-phase modernization process would have run until spring 2027, renovating 120,000 square feet, or 37 percent, of the building by updating electrical and plumbing systems, adding new floor coverings, adding new food services and outdoor seating, and moving Student Health into the Iowa Memorial Union from its current Westlawn location.
At the Feb. 27 meeting, University Architect Rod Lehnertz presented the project. Regent David Barker voiced his concern for funding a project that may not be immediately necessary.
“We did during COVID defer some projects because of the uncertainty at that time,” Baker said. “Do you think that, given the uncertainties about federal funding at the moment, it would be prudent to maybe postpone that for some short period of time?”
The board answered yes, voting to delay the modernization to an unspecified future date.
UI third-year Isaac Johnson was completely on board with the project’s plan to move Student Health to the IMU.
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“Having a more centralized location, especially with off-campus students, I think by having it on the IMU, you get more students who are not typically used to using the university for health resources,” he said.
Johnson noticed a stark difference between the Iowa Memorial Union and other campuses he’s visited, such as South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota.
“Those universities often have their student memorial union as the premier student gathering spot,” he said. “A lot more student organizations would benefit from having more vibrant rooms, as opposed to just like the average IMU conference room, which is 90 percent of the second floor.”
UI third-year student Rylee Jones believes the Iowa Memorial Union could benefit from the project’s proposed new food services.
“More food options would be great to have here,” she said. “Around [the east side], we just have the dorms and dining halls there. And I feel like a lot of people come to [the IMU] a lot, so it could get a lot of traction.”
Some students, like UI second-year Greeshma Joseph, believe the modernization project isn’t immediately necessary.
Joseph said he often goes to the Iowa Memorial Union because it “gives a different change of scenery. I feel like it has a certain charm to it being a little old.”
UI first-year student Devasena Manikandan agreed, believing other buildings could take priority for reconstruction.
“I feel like the [English Philosophy Building] could be a little modernized,” she said.