No plans to improve University of Iowa temporary arts building, despite concerns

IOWA CITY - A former Menards store about two miles from campus has been a fine temporary home for the University of Iowa's School of Art and Art History, displaced by the 2008 flood.

But it's not perfect.

The Studio Arts Building's large automatic sliding doors - typical of stores like Menards - are kept closed most of the time, requiring guests to use the manual swinging doors that flank them on either side. Those doors lack a motorized means for opening, which raised red flags for several members of the UI and Iowa City community.

David McCartney, UI archivist, said he had an appointment at the building on Highway 1 in March 2014 and noticed the swing doors made no concessions for the closure of the larger automatic doors.

'I can only imagine it would be impossible to manually open a door while being seated in a wheelchair,” McCartney said. 'It would be an added challenge if you can't use your arms or are an amputee.”

McCartney, who said he takes notice of accessibility issues on campus because his spouse uses a wheelchair, promptly raised the issue with UI facilities officials and said he did not immediately hear back. He followed up in January and again this month and thought about filing a formal complaint.

A UI official recently responded, mentioning consideration for replacement of the entire door entry systems and installation of power door operators. The official said, however, the project had become a 'struggle,” considering the university doesn't own the space and funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is involved.

And Rod Lehnertz, interim vice president of finance and operations and director of planning, design, told The Gazette on Tuesday the university is not planning any upgrades to the facility, which is compliant with state code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The law does not mandate 'power assist door operators,” although the university has gone above and beyond requirements in many of its buildings, Lehnertz said.

'We are not in a position to make elective changes to the building,” he said, referencing the university's reliance on FEMA to lease the space. 'In general, we have operated off a default of not making optional improvements during the period of recovery.”

Classroom space, studio areas, and offices for the UI School of Art and Art History have been housed in the temporary Studio Arts Building since the 2008 flood ravaged its former home. A $77 million replacement Art Building is planned at 107 River St. and on schedule for completion in 2016.

Once the UI moves into the new 126,597-square-foot building, its FEMA support for the temporary Menards facility will terminate.

Lehnertz said the university has gone through its buildings over time to make sure they comply with the law and, in many cases, go beyond that.

'But this case is unusual, being federal supported,” he said. 'That limits our ability.”