Lang
11/28/19
University of Iowa Facilities Management will now oversee all building projects for the UI Hospitals and Clinics.
The move was announced this week, and comes after numerous problems with the construction of the Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
The Children’s Hospital’s construction was plagued by design changes, cost overruns, mismanagement and delays. The problems culminated with lawsuits after contractors accused the university of failing to make payments over disputes about the amount of money the school owed.
Modern Piping of Cedar Rapids won repeated court orders and awards, with a judge upholding an arbitrator’s decision in August of 2018. The university finally settled with the contractor earlier this year.
UI spokeswoman Jeneane Beck told The Cedar Rapids Gazette that Facilities Management has taken over management of UIHC projects “to centralize the university’s management of capital projects.”
Beck says the change mirrors other joint structures on campus. Two project managers have moved from UIHC Capital Management to UI Facilities Management, which manages all capital projects on campus over $100,000.