Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Uni Capital And Property topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
UNI seeks board approval for dome renovation phase, utility budget revision and property cleanups with Cedar Falls
Summary
University of Northern Iowa proposed the second half of a $8.4 million UNI Dome renovation paid by private gifts, requested a revised budget for a utility project whose bids rose because of subsurface complexity and higher piping costs, and outlined property‑line cleanups and easements tied to Cedar Falls street work.
University of Northern Iowa officials told the Board of Regents’ property and facilities committee on April 23 that the institution seeks approval for two projects and several property actions.
UNI Dome renovation (phase 2, second half): Michael Hager described phase 2 of the dome renovation, an $8.4 million project intended to expand restrooms and add program space. The work will add roughly 5,400 square feet, including an addition of 44 women’s fixtures, 18 men's fixtures, three single‑use family restrooms and a lactation room. Hager said the project is intended to be paid entirely with private gifts and that UNI will not begin construction until gifts or pledges are in hand; the university may use temporary treasury bridge funds as necessary until gifts arrive. Visual representations of the additions were included in the board materials.
Utility project revised budget: Hager explained that a previously approved utility project — originally below the board‑approval threshold — now requires a revision after bids showed higher costs. Contributing factors cited were more complex underground conditions at the intersection of fiber, electrical and water utilities, more granular soil requiring additional shoring and higher prices for specialized steam piping (the presenter said a manufacturing plant fire in Joliet affected availability). The university added contingency and asked the board to approve the revised budget.
Property sale and easements: Hager said routine boundary checks across UNI’s 800+ acres discovered encroachments, primarily in a wooded area. Officials identified 14 parcels with encroachments and concluded the university likely will not use roughly 50 acres for its own needs in the near term. UNI proposed selling land strips (about 40 feet into adjacent parcels in one area) to neighbors; Hager said buyers were agreeable to pricing and that the sale would clean up boundaries. Hager also presented three items tied to Cedar Falls street rebuilding and property exchanges: six temporary construction easements to permit the city’s reconstruction of Third Street, a transfer to clear clouded title on South Campus Street (the city offered to convey the street to UNI for $1), and a small parcel near the university bookstore that the university would convey to the city.
Regents and staff: Presenters said the city of Cedar Falls is a collaborative partner in the projects and that some of the exchanges are routine title cleanups. The committee recommended the items for general consent.
Speakers: Michael Hager (University of Northern Iowa) presented the projects and property items; Regents asked clarifying questions about fundraising and construction thresholds.
