The University of Iowa recently pulled out of a public-private partnership for the construction of a new Art Museum at the intersection of Burlington and Clinton Streets.
“The decision Friday follows a monthlong review of both the programmatic needs and financial viability of the new facility,” said UI Business Manager David Kieft. “It was projected to cost around $80 million, not including lease payments or real-estate taxes.”
The partnership with the university would have included several groups such as the Hieronymus family, the Hodge Group, and Mortenson Construction.
The old museum was severely damaged in the 2008 flood. At that time, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said there was not enough extensive damage for it to cover the cost of a new museum.
Collections have since been held in the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. Some works of art are housed in the UIMA@IMU visual classroom, and there are also traveling exhibitions hosted in the IMU Black Box Theater.
“The [museum] is very excited by the new opportunities presented as a result of looking at new options,” said the museum Director Sean O’Harrow. “We can create a new museum that is even better than what we previously envisioned.”
Kieft said the decision to drop the partnership had nothing to do with the developers that the UI was working with.
“It’s the reality of designing and constructing a privately built museum that requires unique climate-control features to protect the art and ensure appropriate accreditation,” he said.
Kieft said the planning information gathered by the university, and the partial layouts developed by the design professionals will be used in the future project.
O’Harrow said the museum officials are excited about the support they have received from the UI community.
“With the president and administration 100 percent behind the new museum, we are confident that the solution will reach more students, academics, and visitors than ever before,” he said.
O’Harrow said the university officials are currently searching for a new location for the museum.
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“The university leaders, including the Museum of Art staff, will spend the next several weeks or months investigating on-campus options that will make the museum more central to the student experience,” he said.
Some of those leaders include President Bruce Harreld, Provost P. Barry Butler, and Senior Vice President for Finance & Operations Rod Lehnertz.
“The university is also looking for ways to begin returning all or part of the museum’s collection to campus,” Kieft said. “This could be in a temporary or interim space but would allow students to once again connect with the university’s extensive collection.”
Mortenson Construction declined to comment on the situation.
