Completion dates shift for UI flood recovery projects

CEDAR FALLS - Timelines have changed slightly for several major flood recovery projects at the University of Iowa, and UI officials said those dates could shift more as the rebuilding process continues.

UI officials in June reported to the state Board of Regents the first detailed timetable for major flood recovery projects at the university. Doug True, senior vice president for finance, on Thursday reported an updated timetable to the regents during a meeting in Cedar Falls. The biggest reasons for the timeline changes are the Federal Emergency Management Agency requirement that the UI go through a historical and environmental review process on even the new building projects, as well as the approval from FEMA for the UI to use a multiphase bid process for Hancher. That process will speed the Hancher project up and could potentially save millions, True said.

A new Hancher Auditorium is expected for “substantial completion” by December 2015, updated from the previous date of June 2016. That was the only major project with a moved-up expected completion date; the others all have longer expected completion dates in the report given to the regents.

“Some of these schedules have been altered somewhat and will continue to be altered based on facts and circumstances,” True said.

New expected completion dates for other major flood-recovery projects are: new School of Music facility in downtown Iowa City, now August 2016, compared with previous date of May 2016; new Studio Arts facility, now April 2016 compared with previous date of December 2015; Iowa Advanced Technology Labs, now February 2014 compared with previous date of September 2013; and Iowa Memorial Union, now August 2014 compared with previous date of May 2014.

UI officials also in June inked the agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency that details how much FEMA will contribute toward the major building replacement projects from the 2008 flood: Hancher, the School of Music and Studio Arts. Building replacement facilities for those three are estimated at $386 million. Of that total, FEMA will pay $266 million, which was confirmed in the agreement signed by both parties this summer, True said. The $120 million remainder will be covered by the UI, including about $40 million in insurance reimbursement.

“That was a very big step made in late June to have that commitment of $266 million from FEMA toward those major replacements,” True said. “We're pleased with that.”