Marion Independent celebrates facility work

Marion Independent schools continues facility work

The Marion Independent School District is celebrating progress on its facility master plan, which includes a scoreboard with the school’s logo and with play clocks and stadium lights being added to the Marion football field.

In addition to a new scoreboard, the stadium is getting electrical and technology installations; a sound system was installed earlier this month; and an elevator will be completed by mid-March.

In January, the 1955 addition to Francis Marion Intermediate School was demolished and the debris hauled away. In its place will be built a new secured entryway. Other renovations at Francis Marion Intermediate were completed earlier during the 2022-23 school year, including updating aging classrooms.

Construction bids for the new auditorium at Marion High School are being received until Thursday. The new auditorium at the high school campus, 675 S. 15th St., will increase seating from 300 to 800 and is about a $7.7 million project. The current auditorium will be converted into classrooms.

The work is being done as a part of a $31 million bond sale approved by voters in March 2021. Projects include building a new elementary school, auditorium and outdoor activities complex at Marion High School and making repairs to other district buildings.

Four Iowa City parks getting improvements

Four Iowa City parks will get various improvements later this year.

The city will spend $868,000 for improvements at Kiwanis, Hunter’s Run, Happy Hollow and Hickory Hill parks. The City Council last week unanimously approved the project outline and estimated cost.

Projects include playground improvements at Kiwanis, Hunter’s Run and Happy Hollow, as well as shelter and restroom replacements at Hickory Hill. There also will be sidewalk and accessibility improvements at all four of the parks, according to a city memo.

Parks and Recreation Director Juli Seydell Johnson said the goal is to get all four projects done, but pointed out Hickory Hill is an alternate because of the “volatile bid environment.”

“We want to make sure that we protect and be able to do as much as we can on the other projects. Hope to get all four done but that gives us a little bit of decision making if that doesn’t happen,” Seydell Johnson said.

The Kiwanis playground will be replaced while maintaining the existing playground limits and the natural theme, according to the city memo. The Hunter’s Run playground also will be replaced.

The playground at Happy Hollow will be removed and a new playground boundary will be installed. The new playground equipment will be selected this spring. The baseball field at Happy Hollow also will be improved.

At Hickory Hill, the restrooms and shelter off of Conklin Lane would be replaced. City staff worked with Friends of Hickory Hill during the design.

Construction is anticipated to occur from April to October.

Iowa City buying home for flood mitigation

The city of Iowa City is purchasing a home on Manor Drive near the Iowa River for flood mitigation.

The home at 500 Manor Drive will be purchased for $276,000 using the city’s emergency reserve. The City Council approved the purchase at its meeting last week.

The property is located within the 100-year flood plain. City staff is proposing the house be demolished and for the lot to be maintained as green space as part of the city’s flood mitigation measures.

City Attorney Eric Goers said the homeowner approached the city, asking if the city would be interested in purchasing the home as she is getting ready to move out.

After the 2008 flood, the city bought 92 homes in the Parkview Terrace and Taft Speedway neighborhoods through a voluntary program. These homes, except for the historic Ned Ashton House, were demolished and are being maintained as green space.

Since the program wrapped up, the city has purchased seven additional homes — four with grant funds and three with local funds from the emergency reserve.

The home at 500 Manor Drive was significantly damaged during the 2008 flood, according to a memo from city staff.

“These ongoing buyout efforts contribute to the greater community flood mitigation strategy by removing people and property from harm's way,” staff wrote in the memo.

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area government bodies. Marissa Payne, Izabela Zaluska and Grace King of The Gazette contribute.