Projects include upgrades at the hospital, Hillcrest and demolition of two houses
KCJJ Staff
02/28/19
The Iowa Board of Regents has given the University of Iowa initial permission to proceed with several construction projects, include several upgrades at the hospital and the demolition of a pair of houses on the east campus.
The board’s Property and Facilities Committee this week OKed the budgets for upgrades to hospital elevators F and H, a renovation of a post-anesthesia care unit, new MRI Suite Safety and PET/MRI expansion and renovations, and renovation of Interventional Radiology Support Space. They also gave the UI permission to move forward with an $8.5 million renovation of Hillcrest Residence Hall and the demolition of two houses on North Clinton Street across from the Pappajohn Business Building.
Senior vice president of finance and operations Rod Lehnertz says many of the hospital projects became doable after the Stead Family Children’s Hospital opened, creating more space in that area of the hospital.
“As is needed from time-to-time, this will be a modernization of the core infrastructure for the building,” Lehnertz told the Board committee.
The MRI and radiology projects had each been previously approved but saw a combined increase in their budgets of roughly $13 million, something Lehnertz attributed to an expansion in scope of the projects, as well the combining of some projects into one effort to save on construction timelines.
The demolition of the houses at 120 and 124 North Clinton Street had been planned to make way for a new entrepreneurial center but Lehnertz says as of now the lots will be returned to green space.
Each of the projects is expected to begin either later this year or next year and will likely take multiple years to complete.
The full Board will vote on the projects at its next meeting.