The University of Iowa is seeking permission from the Iowa Board of Regents to begin planning a modernization and expansion of the Iowa Memorial Union Parking Ramp, making it easier and safer for people to drive and walk in a busy area of campus.
The proposed project would expand the ramp into the site currently occupied by Halsey Hall.
Halsey Hall, which most recently housed the UI Department of Dance, would be decommissioned and razed under a separate project. This summer, the dance programs moved into a renovated building — the former UI art museum — on the west side of the Iowa River.
Removal of Halsey Hall, which was built in 1915, would decrease the university’s deferred maintenance by $12 million and would create an annual savings of $400,000 in operational costs. Halsey was built as the women’s gymnasium on campus and was named after Elizabeth Halsey, the director of women’s physical education. Completion of the building allowed women to participate in sporting activities that previously were available only to men.
The parking ramp project would focus on three primary improvements: adding parking spaces, relocating the ramp entrance and exit to improve traffic flow, and creating more accessible pedestrian routes.
“This area is one of the busiest on campus, with drivers and pedestrians moving through it throughout the day,” says Rod Lehnertz, senior vice president for finance and operations. “In addition to being a more effective and safer parking ramp, we also want it to be a positive welcome to all of those who visit campus, often for the first time.”
Plans call for ADA-compliant pedestrian routes, a flatter approach to the ramp, and relocation of the elevator to improve accessibility. The project also will explore whether all or a portion of the existing parking ramp, built in 1964, should be demolished as part of the expansion.
The IMU Parking Ramp carries about $1 million of deferred maintenance.
The project also would address needed improvements to steam, water, and sanitary sewer utilities located between the parking ramp and Halsey Hall that would be necessary to maintain service to campus during and after construction.
The preliminary project budget is estimated at $45 million to $55 million. The project would be funded entirely through parking and transportation earnings and revenue from parking rates.