The Iowa Memorial Union ground floor will reopen to students this summer for the first time since 2008, when historic flooding damaged the IMU and several other buildings on the University of Iowa campus. The IMU Flood Mitigation and Recovery Project is set to be completed in May, adding 83,000 square feet of space back to the IMU. The resurrected ground floor will include the University Book Store, a new Learning Commons ITC, Union Station Food Court, a student lounge and performance venue, convenience store, bank, coffee shop, and additional lounge and study areas.
The project will provide protection from future flooding through the use of permanent and temporary flood walls, which will also be used to create an outdoor terrace with seating overlooking the Iowa River.
Students entering Iowa in fall 2015 will be among the first to enjoy the IMU’s new features when they attend their summer Orientation session.
The IMU is the first of many projects to be completed over the next few years on the UI campus. The 501-bed Mary Louise Petersen Residence Hall will open this fall on the west-side of campus. Other facilities coming online over the next few years include: Voxman Music Building, Hancher Auditorium, Art Building Replacement Facility, and the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. The university has also proposed a new 12-story, 1023-bed residence hall on the east side of campus that is currently estimated to be complete by Summer 2017.
Check out the University of Iowa facilities website for a full look at all the progress on facility projects on campus.