University of Iowa seeks $80 million in capital improvement projects at Board of Regents meeting

The University of Iowa received approval from the Iowa Board of Regents Nov. 6 for the register of their capital improvement plans, which include the schematic design, project description and budget for three renovation projects totaling $82.6 million. The UI Hospitals & Clinics is seeking to renovate level eight of the Stead Family Children’s Hospital, for the purpose of expanding its NICU services. This is in addition to the current construction on the seventh floor, previously a shelf space also intended for NICU expansion. The project would add 28 patient rooms in addition to support spaces, family waiting spaces and provider work rooms, and is estimated at $39 million. The expansion and renovation of the eighth floor would also support growth in maternity services. “We anticipate newborn delivery growth by 34% over the next five years and 63% over the next 10 years,” said Rod Lehnertz, senior vice president for finance and operations. If approved, UIHC anticipates it will have the necessary paperwork and management of the bidding process to initiate phased construction starting in spring 2025.

“For $39 million, I thought the equipment would be more,” said regent Nancy Dunkel, who questioned the cost estimation. The fit-out for the floor is a complex project, said Mr. Lehnertz, and requires a phased delivery as it involves working in an active hospital and specialized finishes and utility systems, unlike those in classrooms or offices. “A big driver in the project is the equipment and the fit-out of these spaces within the rooms and in the support spaces for the NICU needs associated with the UIHC,” he said, adding that the project is approximately $3 million less than the construction on the adjacent floor. “The footprint, layout and the size are the same,” he said, reiterating that the fit-out for the equipment is the cost driver.

'Equipped for future demands'

The university is also eyeing a second major project: the renovation of the lower level of its 1927 Medical Laboratories Building to support the Department of Radiation Oncology.

Situated on the Health Sciences campus, the $6.6 million project will be funded by university funds and Carver College of Medicine Gifts and Earnings. Alongside modernizing the space, the renovation will address $800,000 in deferred maintenance, ensuring the facility is equipped for future demands. “The Medical Laboratories Building has physical deficiencies that negatively affect the ability to perform current ongoing research and compete or sustain extramural funding and contracts for future research endeavors, even though portions of the building have been renovated,” a document outlining the proposal stated. Renovating this portion of the building will enable cutting-edge research and help attract and retain top-tier faculty, staff, and trainees, the document added. The university anticipates construction will start next winter and conclude by winter 2026.

Historic Art Building gets a second chance

The third project is the $37 million renovation and modernization of the 88-year-old Art Building, which was heavily damaged by the 2008 flood. When completed, the building will house UI’s Graduate College, the College of Education -- Art Education and Maker Space, and the School of Planning and Public Affairs. The 53,000-square-foot building has been empty since 2008; in the meantime, the university has undertaken extensive site work around the building to enhance its flood protection, featuring a sidewalk system designed to quickly and easily accommodate a HESCO flood wall barrier system. “We're very confident (concerning) the protection of that building from future flood risks,” Mr. Lehnertz said. He added that the facility’s lower level is being strategically designed to withstand hydrostatic pressure and other potential flood impacts. By incorporating low-complexity finishes and easily movable equipment and furnishings, the design aims to simplify relocation efforts in the event severe flooding happens again. “The first floor of the building, which was not impacted by the 2008 flood, was built five feet originally in 1936 – built five feet above the grade of that site, and most of the programming will be on that floor and above,” Mr. Lehnertz said.

According to university documents, the historic nature of the building prevented its demolition following the flood, as mandated by FEMA. “In the case of the University of Iowa, 22 major buildings were flooded, and every one of those becomes a project for FEMA. They don't protect by the area. They protect by the building, by their rules,” he said. In collaboration with FEMA, the university conducted an adaptive reuse study to explore future uses of certain campus facilities impacted by flooding, which led to a "memorandum of agreement" between the university and FEMA, outlining a plan to preserve and restore the building in question when a clear programmatic need arises. Part of the “mothballing” process was installing temporary systems and plastic ducts to keep the building at a minimum temperature of 45 degrees in winter to prevent interior decay. “According to federal standards, we maintain those until the day that we renovate this building and make it usable for the groups that will move into it,” Mr. Lehnertz said. “But it was always FEMA’s intent by saving the building that we would repopulate the building and reprogram it when the site was deemed as appropriately protected.” Renovation would remove $10 million of deferred maintenance, the document stated. University officials anticipate that construction could begin in December 2025 and potentially finish by summer 2026. “We're very proud of the historic preservation and the celebration of an important building with commanding presence on the river in the Art Building, but also to make that the home for our Graduate College,” Mr. Lehnertz said. “It's a great sit at the very center of campus, directly across the bridge from the Iowa Memorial Union. I think we'll all be very proud of that project when it's complete.”