The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Partial demolition of Seashore Hall taking place this winter

Seashore Hall will lose one of its wings to make room for a new Psychological and Brain Sciences Building.
Contractors+work+in+front+of+Seashore+Hall+as+part+of+the+preparations+for+its+demolition+on+Monday%2C+Nov.+27%2C+2017.+Seashore+Hall+will+be+demolished+in+December+2017+to+allow+for+the+expansion+of+the+Spence+Laboratories+of+Psychology.+%28David+Harmantas%2FThe+Daily+Iowan%29
David Harmantas/The Daily Iowan
Contractors work in front of Seashore Hall as part of the preparations for its demolition on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Seashore Hall will be demolished in December 2017 to allow for the expansion of the Spence Laboratories of Psychology. (David Harmantas/The Daily Iowan)

By Madison Purvis

[email protected]

The University of Iowa plans to partially tear down long-standing Seashore Hall during winter break.

On April 21, the state Board of Regents approved the razing of a wing of the building to construct a new $33.5 million building for the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department.

Wendy Moorehead, the strategic communications manager for Facilities Management, said Seashore was built in 1899 and was designated a psychology space in 1930. Since then, no major renovations have been done in the building.

Preliminary work for the project started on Nov. 1, including a temporary closing of the sidewalk between Van Allen Hall and Seashore in order to extend utilities from Van Allen Hall to Spence Labs and eventually to the new facility.

RELATED: Construction of new UI psychology facility partially delayed

However, Moorehead said in an email, “the razing of the SE wing [of Seashore Hall] will most likely occur late Dec. or Jan. but could be later depending on how the utilities work progresses.”

Officials predict that the razing will take approximately five weeks to complete.

Moorehead said the demolition of the Seashore wing is necessary in order to start the construction of the new building and to extend the underground utilities to the parts of Seashore that remain.

The current estimation for completing construction of the new facility is August 2019. Once the building is occupied, the rest of Seashore will be demolished. Right now, officials estimate that the demolition will take place in the spring of 2020.

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