UI Children's Hospital cost increases to about $292 million

IOWA CITY - The estimated cost for the University of Iowa Children's Hospital has increased by more than $21 million, mostly due to the addition of two shelled floors at the top of the planned facility.

UI Hospitals and Clinics officials next week will seek state Board of Regents approval for the adjusted budget and design of the Children's Hospital, construction on which is slated to start in the fall. The board meets Wednesday in Iowa City; agenda information was released Thursday.

The cost estimate for the Children's Hospital will increase to about $292 million from $270.8 million. The increase covers two additional shelled floors at the top of the building, a rooftop terrace and rooftop utilities penthouse and increased procedure and high technology areas in the building, UI officials said.

Hospital officials had wanted the two shelled floors at the top of the building, but needed approval from the Federal Aviation Administration due to the nearby Iowa City Municipal Airport, UI Spokesman Tom Moore said. The university has received that permission, so will seek regents approval for the change. Those two additional floors will be shelled for use in the future, Moore said, making the building 11 floors above grade.

"It makes much more economic sense to add them on now," he said. "It's much less expensive that way and gives us more options down the road for potential expansion."

The board also will be asked to approve the $66 million plan to demolish hospital parking ramp No. 2, for replacement with an underground parking facility with about 700 spaces in the same location. That change will allow a new visible front entry to UI Hospitals and Clinics with a landscaped plaza entryway and make arrival simpler for patients and visitors, officials said.

The projects will be funded with hospital revenue bonds, hospital building use funds and gifts designated for the Children's Hospital.

Construction on the UI Children's Hospital is set to begin in October with opening planned for early 2016. The long-range master plan also calls for the eventual construction of two new towers that will house patient rooms. Bed capacity with the completion of the new Children's Hospital will be 195, a 19 percent increase, officials said.

Also at next week's meeting, UI officials will seek regents approval of the design and budget for a $6.3 million project to extend to South Grand Avenue a hospital east-to-west roadway that now dead ends at the Field House. The project will construct a new roadway link to connect South Grand Avenue and Hawkins Drive, to improve access through the hospital area, officials said. The new roadway will be built between the Field House pool area and the South Gym structure. The portion of the Field House to be razed is referred to as the "main street" area.