Iowa State planning 700,000 square feet of new construction in next 30 years

IOWA CITY — Over the next 30 years, Iowa State University is planning to renew or replace 2.3 million square feet of buildings on its Ames campus and build 700,000 square feet of new construction, according to a facilities master plan presented to its governing Board of Regents on Wednesday.

The plan, which encompasses more than 40 buildings, was developed with several assumptions — including maintenance of an enrollment between 30,000 and 35,000. Iowa State’s fall 2021 enrollment was 30,708, down 15 percent from its peak of 36,291 in fall 2016.

The plan also assumes no major changes in Iowa State’s financial resources; no big change in research spending; a modest growth in proportion of online credit hours; no change to on-campus housing square footage; and that preservation of open green space on campus will remain a priority.

“Knowing enrollment is changing and knowing that we’ve got an issue with our existing facilities, a real priority was to make the most use of our existing facilities,” ISU Associate Vice President for Facilities Paul Fuligni told regents.

“Let’s put money back into renewal and reinvestment. … If there are facilities out there that are just not effective for use, let’s replace and demolish them, and let’s limit our new construction to that where we really need it.”

University of Iowa officials in January brought to the board their 10-year facilities master plan, including three major projects on the UI Health Care campus: a new inpatient bed tower; new UI Carver College of Medicine research building; and new ambulatory care center tower.

The University of Northern Iowa is scheduled to present its facilities master plan early next year.

ISU engineering building

Although Iowa State didn’t include in its master plan details about specific projects, it reported a majority of its new square footage over the next 30 years will come through already-planned projects — like its $54 million Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building.

Iowa State this week is seeking board approval for the design and budget of that 77,000-square-foot facility, which will provide new space for teaching and research labs, classrooms and offices serving ISU’s College of Engineering.

Its construction is planned to start this fall and wrap by fall 2024. Funding will come from university funds and donors — with general university dollars expected to cover the $496,000 in annual operating and maintenance costs.

The project will be geared toward serving Iowa State’s Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering — currently occupying 22,300 square feet in the Black Engineering Building, which it shares with the Mechanical Engineering Department.

A 2014 College of Engineering planning study identified a “critical shortage of space” for both departments — with Mechanical Engineering needing an additional 80,000 net square feet and Industrial Manufacturing Systems Engineering needing another 7,000 square feet.

“After a review of current and projected spaces needs, and due to the shortage of existing space collegewide, a new building is recommended,” according to Iowa State’s project proposal.

The project would move Industrial Engineering out of Black Engineering and into the new building, improving the quality and quantity of its space.

Football, commuter parking

Iowa State also this week is seeking Board of Regents approval to spend $25 million on improved parking next to Jack Trice Stadium.

The project would renovate and expand on about 40 acres of land between the Iowa State Center and Jack Trice now used for commuter and event parking.

It would add new lighting and install underground infrastructure — including new water, power, gas, phone, storm sewer and sanitary lines.

“The parking lots on this land have multiple maintenance issues and are in need of resurfacing,” according to Board of Regents documents. “These lots are heavily used by both students and visitors to the ISU campus.

“Specifically, this project would improve 4,200 parking stalls serving the Iowa State Center and parking for approximately 2,000 daily commuters.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com