How Hospitals affect University Heights

While door knocking I was speaking with a new neighbor last week when he casually dropped the fact that the new UI Children's Hospital was looking to probably hire an ADDITIONAL 100 positions when it opens, projected for March of 2016. (I've been unable to find independent verification) I had no idea that the goal of the hospital project was to increase the size of the department so dramatically. I've been mulling that over for the past week and have thought a lot about the implications that may have for our town. 

The increase in the size of the building is also dramatic. With 12 stories projected above ground, and two levels below ground, (and PARKING even below that) the building will be a prominent feature of the west side landscape.

image courtesy of http://www.uichildrens.org/

University Heights was developed immediately after the opening of the original portion of University Hospital in 1924. An advertising piece that I have from the period states touts that homes would be located "only 5 or 6 blocks from the New Hospital." It also goes on to say. "A lot in University Heights is a safe investment because the $6,000,000 building program of the UNIVERSITY on the West Side will make a big demand for West Side property and will cause values to increase very rapidly.” Their next statement is, “In a few years we predict the West Side Campus of the University will be larger than the East Side, and this will develop a residence section on the West Side of the river as large as we now have on the East Side---a business district with hotels, stores, etc. Iowa City will grow and develop as the University develops… A future vision of Iowa City must be a vision of a New City on the West Side.” At another portion of the brochure is the statement, “University Heights has ample building restriction sufficient to protect all parties. A business district has been planned.”

When our home was built you could see the University Hospitals from the front porch:

 

Another piece of history I thought of is University Heights' historian Pat Yeggy's article about the building of the Grandview Apartments in 1950. This project was initiated due to a critical need for housing for the estimated 600 families that would be moving to the Iowa City area for the new Veteran's Hospital which was at that time under construction. There was opposition to that project too, which sounds a bit familiar today. Read the MINUTES of JAN. 18 & 30, 1950 COUNCIL MEETINGS.

So it seems that the timing of the potential One University Place would be fortuitous for the next round of Hospital expansion, as other major U-Heights development has been in the past.