New University of Iowa residence hall coming just in time for largest-ever freshmen class

IOWA CITY - Just in time to welcome an expected record-breaking first-year undergraduate class of more than 5,000 next month, the University of Iowa officially unveiled Tuesday its first new residence hall on campus since 1968.

The Mary Louise Petersen Residence Hall stands 11 stories and includes 178,000 square feet for 252 student rooms, 501 beds, 97 bathrooms, 21 study rooms and 1,032 electrical outlets.

It cost $53 million, took 330,000 man-hours to build, and required 6,500 cubic yards of concrete - enough to cover the playing field in Kinnick Stadium at a depth of more than 3 feet.

Soon-to-retire UI President Sally Mason told The Gazette she expects an 'astonishing” freshmen class this fall, breaking the 4,666-student entering class record set last year. That growth has necessitated the new Petersen Hall, along with another new residence hall on the east side of campus, Mason said.

'This residence hall is going to be full,” she said after a dedication ceremony. 'And I hope they get the next one completed early because we're going to need it.”

This fall's anticipated first-year bump will support the university's larger goal of adding 5,000 more students over the next five years. Mason said the university launched that initiative last year partly in response to a Board of Regents proposal to change the way it funds Iowa's public universities - tying a majority of allocations to enrollment.

The regents' proposal did not gain support from lawmakers, meaning the UI didn't need to boost its resident enrollment to avoid losing millions after all. But Mason said some of the institution's growth has been organic, and not the result of a recruiting push.

'It's been happening across the country,” she said. 'The education you can get at a public university is fabulous in quality and it comes at a fabulous price.”

The Madison Street Residence Hall, the second new dorm planned across campus, will be bigger than Petersen Hall and have capacity to house twice as many students.

It will rise 12 stories, include 303,000 square feet and house 1,023 beds along with kitchen and dining facilities capable of serving 2,000-some. Both halls include study rooms, lounges on every floor, laundry facilities and clustered private restrooms.

Most of the rooms in Petersen Hall are double rooms, save some for returning students. None of the Petersen rooms have sinks, although each floor has public sinks and between nine and 10 private bathrooms for 50 to 60 students, depending on the floor.

The new accommodations also don't include landline phones in every room like the other older residence halls. That's because a recent analysis found only 40 phones were used by the 6,000 students living in some capacity on campus.

Julia Lampe, 18, is an incoming freshmen from Bettendorf who landed a room in Petersen Hall this fall. She and her mom were in Iowa City to tour her new home.

'It's a lot different from when I went to school,” said Lisa Lampe, her mom - eyeing a large laundry facility with rows of machines capable of charging student identification cards.

The new hall was named in honor of Petersen, a UI alumnus, former regents president and past chair of the board of directors of the Association of Governing Boards for Colleges and Universities. Petersen spoke during Tuesday's ceremony about the importance of supporting the student experience through public and private funds.

She said that although the hall bears her name, it represents all the women who served as higher education pioneers.

'I am a placeholder for Mary Sue Coleman, and for you Sally,” Petersen said, turning to Mason. 'You honor them all when you honor me.”