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University of Iowa plans to buy downtown Iowa City mall

Counterpoint:

If the U was visionary, it could convert the site into a mixed-use development very, very similar to the Banker's Life Fieldhouse area in downtown Indianapolis. The footprints are remarkably similar, even though Indy is much denser.

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The footprints are similar in that they are rectangles.

But Banker's life has a 440ft wide footprint compared to the 360ft of the mall. Major difference there.
 
Few things I'm aware of: demo of Halsey Hall and moving dance to the old art museum. That's a great upgrade for the dance department, and the windows along the river are a great place for morning dance classes.

The theater department houses their costumes in the old museum now, but last I heard is they were going to build a new facility for that. The shop used to be in the basement of the theater building but they didn't return after the flood.

Also looks like Student Health is moving to the IMU? East side is a much better location for that service.
 
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Few things I'm aware of: demo of Halsey Hall and moving dance to the old art museum. That's a great upgrade for the dance department, and the windows along the river are a great place for morning dance classes.

The theater department houses their costumes in the old museum now, but last I heard is they were going to build a new facility for that. The shop used to be in the basement of the theater building but they didn't return after the flood.

Also looks like Student Health is moving to the IMU? East side is a much better location for that service.
Ah yes. If you survived the trek to Student Death from the other side of the river, you pretty much knew you were going to live, despite feeling like shit!
 
Not sure if it's in the article or not, but have it on good authority that the old Field House is coming down in the next few years.
There have been variations of this rumor for a long time. It was rumored to be coming down ~2010ish, then the hospital had a budget issue, so no. Just before covid hit, it was scheduled for a lot of updates and remodeling. They were going to fill in the pool and build new locker rooms.

BTW, I'm also hearing that it may be coming down again.
 
There have been variations of this rumor for a long time. It was rumored to be coming down ~2010ish, then the hospital had a budget issue, so no. Just before covid hit, it was scheduled for a lot of updates and remodeling. They were going to fill in the pool and build new locker rooms.

BTW, I'm also hearing that it may be coming down again.
This one seems to have more speed than previous...It was discussed, or at least inferred, at the BoR meeting yesterday. And if you haven't been in the Field House lately, holy shit, it's a dump.
 
KXNO is having a very interesting discussion on this issue. They are wrapping up; but you can get the 2nd hour podcast later.

Absolutely amazing that everyone is pretty much in agreement that Iowa has a problem.
 
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KXNO is having a very interesting discussion on this issue. They are wrapping up; but you can get the 2nd hour podcast later.

Absolutely amazing that everyone is pretty much in agreement that Iowa has a problem.
Iowa could be the only school in the nation with a ~15k seat arena for wrestling and a cozy 10k seat arena for basketball.
 
Few things I'm aware of: demo of Halsey Hall and moving dance to the old art museum. That's a great upgrade for the dance department, and the windows along the river are a great place for morning dance classes.

The theater department houses their costumes in the old museum now, but last I heard is they were going to build a new facility for that. The shop used to be in the basement of the theater building but they didn't return after the flood.

Also looks like Student Health is moving to the IMU? East side is a much better location for that service.
Tearing down Halsey would make sense since they're talking about replacing the IMU ramp. That extra space would allow them to build a lot more parking and a ramp that is easier to maneuver in. I wonder if they'd take down Calvin Hall and/or Trowbridge too to really expand the parking option.

With the article talking about Tippie expanding, I'm not sure where. PBB is using all of the available space, aside from the courtyard. If they got rid of Gilmore Hall, then there would be expansion room. Maybe the school would buy the Old Brick Church and tear it down to build an annex across Market St. I doubt that doing that would go over well though.

But they'd have to find space to relocate the Geology department from Trowbridge, the Religious Studies department from Gilmore, and student services from Calvin if they did everything I said. Is there room in other areas to do that? Sounds like dance moving out of Halsey already has space, so maybe they've thought of these other ones.

What is painfully obvious is that the university is running out of room without tearing down old buildings to build larger new ones, without tearing up existing green space like Hubbard park, or without building back in the flood zone where Voxman and Hancher used to be. In the last 20 years the university has built 6 large buildings on the east side of the river and built a large expansion to the engineering building. Hubbard, the pentacrest lawn, and the EPB parking lot are the last large open spaces left north of Burlington and east of the river. I guess they tore down the communications building and Seashore hall, I haven't seen what they've done with those spaces so maybe there's room there.
 
KXNO is having a very interesting discussion on this issue. They are wrapping up; but you can get the 2nd hour podcast later.

Absolutely amazing that everyone is pretty much in agreement that Iowa has a problem.
This is how it starts. And is also why I do not apologize for being a broken record on this issue for years.

Hell, many Lounge posters have said they now agree the need is now!

We (Iowa fans) need to keep talking about it online, on social media platforms, in call in shows, etc. The University of Iowa has a proud (if not spectacular) basketball history. We deserve to have a basketball facility that is on par with our fantastic football facility.
 
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Tearing down Halsey would make sense since they're talking about replacing the IMU ramp. That extra space would allow them to build a lot more parking and a ramp that is easier to maneuver in. I wonder if they'd take down Calvin Hall and/or Trowbridge too to really expand the parking option.

With the article talking about Tippie expanding, I'm not sure where. PBB is using all of the available space, aside from the courtyard. If they got rid of Gilmore Hall, then there would be expansion room. Maybe the school would buy the Old Brick Church and tear it down to build an annex across Market St. I doubt that doing that would go over well though.

But they'd have to find space to relocate the Geology department from Trowbridge, the Religious Studies department from Gilmore, and student services from Calvin if they did everything I said. Is there room in other areas to do that? Sounds like dance moving out of Halsey already has space, so maybe they've thought of these other ones.

What is painfully obvious is that the university is running out of room without tearing down old buildings to build larger new ones, without tearing up existing green space like Hubbard park, or without building back in the flood zone where Voxman and Hancher used to be. In the last 20 years the university has built 6 large buildings on the east side of the river and built a large expansion to the engineering building. Hubbard, the pentacrest lawn, and the EPB parking lot are the last large open spaces left north of Burlington and east of the river. I guess they tore down the communications building and Seashore hall, I haven't seen what they've done with those spaces so maybe there's room there.
Great stuff here Herky T.

I think eventually the U is going to have to re-explore areas flooded out, even with the threat of climate change. You can have buildings that are flood-proof if planned correctly. A good example is the Figge Museum in Davenport -- note how its exterior, south-facing wall and staircase (on the Mississippi River side of the building) is constructed to serve as a flood wall in the event of rising water. This fully protected the building, the collection and allowed it to remain open even during the height of the 2019 flood.

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Tearing down Halsey would make sense since they're talking about replacing the IMU ramp. That extra space would allow them to build a lot more parking and a ramp that is easier to maneuver in. I wonder if they'd take down Calvin Hall and/or Trowbridge too to really expand the parking option.

With the article talking about Tippie expanding, I'm not sure where. PBB is using all of the available space, aside from the courtyard. If they got rid of Gilmore Hall, then there would be expansion room. Maybe the school would buy the Old Brick Church and tear it down to build an annex across Market St. I doubt that doing that would go over well though.

But they'd have to find space to relocate the Geology department from Trowbridge, the Religious Studies department from Gilmore, and student services from Calvin if they did everything I said. Is there room in other areas to do that? Sounds like dance moving out of Halsey already has space, so maybe they've thought of these other ones.

What is painfully obvious is that the university is running out of room without tearing down old buildings to build larger new ones, without tearing up existing green space like Hubbard park, or without building back in the flood zone where Voxman and Hancher used to be. In the last 20 years the university has built 6 large buildings on the east side of the river and built a large expansion to the engineering building. Hubbard, the pentacrest lawn, and the EPB parking lot are the last large open spaces left north of Burlington and east of the river. I guess they tore down the communications building and Seashore hall, I haven't seen what they've done with those spaces so maybe there's room there.
Enrollment is down from it's peak in 2016, there is not a need for more space, just better space.
 
The U is also buying up the property between the Newman Center and Davenport Street. They already own a bunch of it, and there's only a couple rentals and maybe a couple frat houses left, which would be easy enough to acquire. With those gone, that's a lot of contiguous real estate for future building, and it's close to PBAB, the Pentacrest, and the dorms.
 
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That is wrong, but made me LOL. :)

I think we're at a sweet spot right now where jokes like that work really well because they're A) somewhat forbidden and dangerous and many people won't go there and B) enough people know it's just a joke and don't actually condone discriminatory behavior.

If half the people that read the joke were like "darn right!" then it wouldn't work.

edits: C) Asians, and these in particular, tend to do quite well for themselves in America
 
Any knowledge of the vague "baseball improvements" mentioned in that article?
This has been in the works for a few years. Last baseball season they had a schematic posted near the baseball stadium. Basically just new stands, locker rooms, concession s etc.
 
This has been in the works for a few years. Last baseball season they had a schematic posted near the baseball stadium. Basically just new stands, locker rooms, concession s etc.
There’s been talk in the past about moving the field out by Mormon Trek with the other athletic fields. I’m surprised they’re talking about doubling down on the current location. I would have guessed that football or the hospital would have wanted more space. It would make a very nice parking lot at the very least.

But I will be glad if they don’t move another thing away from the main campus.
 
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Is anyone in control of things really worried about attendance at MBB?

The $$$$ comes from the B1G tv contract. The "butts in seats" argument has become an issue in most college towns outside the SEC.
 
This has been in the works for a few years. Last baseball season they had a schematic posted near the baseball stadium. Basically just new stands, locker rooms, concession s etc.
Not really. They have had graphics up since Heller was hired yet needed a lead gift to get a Banks upgrade off the ground. Either they found that lead donor or it’s a pared down renovation.
 
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