Regents OK UI plan to raze part of Hawkeye Court

AMES – University of Iowa officials will move ahead with a plan to raze the flood-damaged portion of Hawkeye Court Apartments, after receiving approval Wednesday from the state Board of Regents.

It will cost an estimated $1.1 million to demolish eight flood-damaged buildings at Hawkeye Court. The eight buildings to be razed contain 76 apartment units that have been unoccupied since the 2008 flood. Cost of the demolition will be paid using insurance proceeds, money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and UI residence system earnings. There are 504 total apartments at Hawkeye Court, west of Mormon Trek Boulevard and Hawkeye Park Road. The complex opened in 1968.

Also at Wednesday's regents meeting, the board:

• Approved a UI plan to terminate the doctoral program in German, but to continue the master's level program. The regents in 2009 approved a two-year suspension of admissions to the doctoral and master's German programs, due to low enrollment and loss of faculty. The suspension of admissions on the master's level program will be removed, and students can be admitted for next fall.

• Approved a request by Iowa State University officials to increase the maximum budget for installing a new scoreboard at Jack Trice Stadium, from $4 million to $5 million. The new total is due primarily to an increase in the projected costs to erect the structure that will support the new video and sound system above the Jacobson Building, which sits at the north end of the football stadium, ISU officials said.

• Approved three requests from the UI and ISU to award honorary degrees this spring. The UI will award an honorary doctor of humane letters to Jerre L. Stead and a doctor of humane letters to Richard (Dick) Myers at spring 2011 commencement. ISU will award an honorary doctor of science degree to Robert N. Shelton.