Hunter
02/20/20
After months of deliberations and adjustments to building plans, the Iowa City City Council agreed to the height bonus for the development at 12 Court Street.
The site will now have two 15-story towers featuring 820 units, office and retail space, a rooftop restaurant, study space and a gym. It will be primarily be marketed to University of Iowa students, and passed by a 5-2 final vote Tuesday.
Discussion prior to the vote focused on sustainability and meeting goals set by the Green Building Standard.
The developer must achieve points for the LEED Optimize Energy Performance credit, install rooftop solar modules and include low-flow plumbing fixtures for more efficient water usage.
A spokesman for the development team said that now the height bonus is a done deal, they still have a lot of planning to do with general contractors, their bank, owners and the architect regarding costing and meeting construction goals set by the city.
While being touted as student housing that will result in lower rents in the area, an editorial in the student-run Daily Iowan calls the development unaffordable and inaccessible for the majority of the UI students. The editorial board said, “Iowa City has failed its student population in providing affordable housing — a need that will not disappear by constructing housing with a high price tag attached.”