The sale of the state-owned Wallace Building and its companion parking structure near the Iowa Capitol was given the green light Monday on a mostly party-line vote in the Iowa Senate.
The state is looking to sell the Wallace Building, which has accumulated a long and expensive list of repair needs. A recent state report showed the need for at least $31 million in repairs, including a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, window repairs, waterproofing, electrical upgrades and repairs, restroom renovations and more.
Built in 1978, the Wallace Building has become familiar for its reflective facade, in which can be seen a reflection of the Capitol across the street.
Demolition of the building and parking ramp would cost an estimated $7 million, and the sale is expected to fetch roughly $9 million, according to the Iowa Legislative Services Agency, the state’s nonpartisan fiscal and legal services agency.
According to the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, the demolition expenses will be covered by one-time federal funds, and any net revenue would be deposited in the state’s general fund.
Any sale of state-owned buildings and property requires approval of the Iowa Legislature and governor. Senate File 295 grants that authority to the Administrative Services department.
The Iowa Senate passed the bill Monday on a 33-14 vote, with mostly Republicans supporting the bill and Democrats opposing it. During floor debate, Democrats expressed concern for selling property so close to the Iowa Capitol when it may be needed for state government in the future.
“You wonder what we might need in the future,” Sen. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, said during floor debate. “That is right across the street from the Capitol. Once we sell that property, we have no control over the property just across from our Capitol complex. That doesn’t seem like a wise decision to me.”
Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Oskaloosa, acknowledged the point but also added, “Iowa doesn’t belong in the real estate business.”
With its passage out of the Iowa Senate, the proposal is now eligible for consideration in the Iowa House.
In the three Iowa counties that house a public university, county supervisors would be elected by districts, not at-large, under legislation approved on a largely party-line vote in the Iowa Senate.
Senate Republicans say the bill is needed to give more voice to rural Iowans in counties where college students are eligible to vote.
“We are trying to mitigate the effects of the high (college) student populations which are seasonal instead of permanent residents,” Sen. Dawn Driscoll, R-Williamsburg, said during debate.
Currently, Iowa counties can choose one of three ways to elect supervisors: countywide by district, countywide without district residence requirements for members, or from equal-population districts in which voters of each district elect a single member.
Johnson, Black Hawk and Story counties — the three that would be impacted by Senate File 75 — all elect county supervisors countywide without district residence requirements.
Previous versions of the bill have failed to garner sufficient support to pass into law. Driscoll said she believes this year will be different.
The bill passed on a 35-12 vote, largely with Republicans supporting and Democrats opposing. It is now eligible for consideration by the Iowa House, where a companion bill has advanced through committee approval.
The state is looking to sell the Wallace Building, which has accumulated a long and expensive list of repair needs. A recent state report showed the need for at least $31 million in repairs, including a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, window repairs, waterproofing, electrical upgrades and repairs, restroom renovations and more.
Built in 1978, the Wallace Building has become familiar for its reflective facade, in which can be seen a reflection of the Capitol across the street.
Demolition of the building and parking ramp would cost an estimated $7 million, and the sale is expected to fetch roughly $9 million, according to the Iowa Legislative Services Agency, the state’s nonpartisan fiscal and legal services agency.
According to the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, the demolition expenses will be covered by one-time federal funds, and any net revenue would be deposited in the state’s general fund.
Any sale of state-owned buildings and property requires approval of the Iowa Legislature and governor. Senate File 295 grants that authority to the Administrative Services department.
The Iowa Senate passed the bill Monday on a 33-14 vote, with mostly Republicans supporting the bill and Democrats opposing it. During floor debate, Democrats expressed concern for selling property so close to the Iowa Capitol when it may be needed for state government in the future.
“You wonder what we might need in the future,” Sen. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, said during floor debate. “That is right across the street from the Capitol. Once we sell that property, we have no control over the property just across from our Capitol complex. That doesn’t seem like a wise decision to me.”
Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Oskaloosa, acknowledged the point but also added, “Iowa doesn’t belong in the real estate business.”
With its passage out of the Iowa Senate, the proposal is now eligible for consideration in the Iowa House.
County supervisor elections in college counties
In the three Iowa counties that house a public university, county supervisors would be elected by districts, not at-large, under legislation approved on a largely party-line vote in the Iowa Senate.
Senate Republicans say the bill is needed to give more voice to rural Iowans in counties where college students are eligible to vote.
“We are trying to mitigate the effects of the high (college) student populations which are seasonal instead of permanent residents,” Sen. Dawn Driscoll, R-Williamsburg, said during debate.
Currently, Iowa counties can choose one of three ways to elect supervisors: countywide by district, countywide without district residence requirements for members, or from equal-population districts in which voters of each district elect a single member.
Johnson, Black Hawk and Story counties — the three that would be impacted by Senate File 75 — all elect county supervisors countywide without district residence requirements.
Previous versions of the bill have failed to garner sufficient support to pass into law. Driscoll said she believes this year will be different.
The bill passed on a 35-12 vote, largely with Republicans supporting and Democrats opposing. It is now eligible for consideration by the Iowa House, where a companion bill has advanced through committee approval.
