(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents has approved plans for several million dollars of work on buildings on the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa campuses. U-I vice president Rod Lehnertz, presented plans for remodeling the Burge Residence Hall. “This will renovate house two and four of our student living spaces in Burge. The project itself — we’re asking for approval the budget at four-point-seven million dollars, to be funded by the University Housing renewal and improvement funds,” he says. Burge Hall was built in 1957, and he says the renovation will modernize the facility and keep it in use.

“Burge serves a very important part of our east campus residence hall system because it has the largest food service system as well. And so it serves all of the other halls,” Lehnertz says. “Our oldest residence hall Courrier Hall, was built in 1915, and still serves as a modern feeling residence hall because of these kinds of modernizations.” He says Burge will remain in use during the renovation — which will happen in the summer of 2024 and 2025. The Board of Regents also gave approval for the updated plan to put in artificial turf at the rec complex. “We will be replacing the surface of the existing grass fields. Put grass in quotes, it’s grass and dirt. It’s been a problem for years because of a very flat terrain and surface drainage, leading to not just canceled events and canceled recreation opportunities for our students but even canceled seasons,” according to Lehnetz.

He says the budget is five-point-eight million dollars for the project, which will be paid for with Recreation Services funds. Lehnertz says the new fields will says roughly 750-thosuand to one million dollars each year in maintenance. Iowa State University received approval for the remodeling of parts of the Memorial Union. Heather Paris once part involves the second floor. “This is a two-pint-two-five million dollar project to remodel five-thousand square feet on the second floor, which is the main level of our Memorial Union,” she says.”The impacted second floor area would open the Colonel Pride Lounge to the main east west corridor, and it includes spaces that were formerly used by the U-S Postal Service our lectures program and the hotel desk when that was in the Memorial Union.” She says the remodel will make it a larger, more attractive space for students to meet, study and dine.

The project would begin next summer and run through the winter of 2024. The second part of the project involves the third floor remodel. “This is a four-point-three million dollar project to renovate 12-thousand square feet in the third floor area between the bookstore and the parking ramp of the Memorial Union,” Paris says. The project remodels offices vacated by Student Services — and will create two suites with offices, a student lounge and study rooms for the multicultural student affairs and student support services. It is scheduled to start next summer. The University of Northern Iowa received questing approval for the design and budget for the Gallager Bluedorn Performing Arts Center expansion project.
Michael Hager presented the plans.

“The Gallagher Bludorn Performing Arts Center is almost 25 years old. When it was built, there were budget challenges and the decision was made at the time to limit some of the patron amenities and focus on the performance venues. And that was a wise decision back then, it served us very well,” Hager says. He says the facility serves thousands of people each year. “This particular project will remodel about 45-hundred square feet and adds on about 16-thousand-400. Most of that addition is focused on patron amenities, including additional restrooms, which are always welcome on those short intermissions,” he says, “concession space drop off lane, a marquee lounge will be a hallmark of this new area to serve our donors and others in there.” The budget is around 14 million dollars.

The Board of Regents approved the plans at their meeting today (Thursday).