Upgrades to proceed at University of Iowa president’s house, but not his Jessup Hall office

IOWA CITY - About $1.5 million in upgrades to the University of Iowa's presidential residence are moving forward, and incoming President J. Bruce Harreld likely will have to live in temporary housing through most of the spring semester, UI administrators said Wednesday.

But plans to do between $750,000 and $900,000 in work on the president's office in Jessup Hall on the UI Pentacrest have been put on hold at Harreld's request, said Rod Lehnertz, director of planning, design, and construction and interim senior vice president for finance and operations.

Although Board of Regents approval is not required for campus projects under $2 million, UI officials previously discussed presidential accommodations with the board and provided the update Wednesday.

'President Harreld has reviewed that project and asked to suspend it,” Lehnertz said of the office upgrades. 'He's confident that he and his staff can work in that space.”

The upgrades would have improved efficiency of the office, which has not seen significant updates since the building's original construction in 1924, and they would have created space for more visitors, according to Lehnertz.

Crews will advance some minor facets of the office - replacing some of the carpet, for example. But the rest will wait, which regent Milt Dakovich said seems to be a 'wise move” and 'a money-saver at this time.”

Lehnertz said the university is moving ahead with $1.5 million in renovations to the UI presidential residence at 102 Church Street - a 13,000-square-foot structure that was built in 1908 for $25,067 and has housed 13 presidents.

The structure, which is used for university-wide events and includes a 1,300-square-foot presidential apartment, has undergone several renovations over the years. The most recent occurred in 2004, when the kitchen was remodeled to facilitate catering for large events, heating and cooling systems were made more energy efficient, and a two-car garage replaced a single-car garage.

This update will focus on things like electrical and plumbing systems, worn finishes and accessories, and exterior surfaces. The goal is to fix leaks and assess efficiency and safety, Lehnertz said.

Although, he said, the university is close to finalizing temporary accommodations for Harreld, Lehnertz did not disclose details of Harreld's housing during Wednesday's meeting.