The Downtown Association of Iowa City has urged University of Iowa leaders to relocate flood-damaged Hancher Auditorium and related music buildings downtown. Leah Cohen, president of the downtown group, says the board of directors unanimously support rebuilding a flood-damaged Hancher Auditorium and connected Voxman Music Building and Clapp Recital Hall downtown, one of two location options under consideration by UI officials. The downtown group sent a letter recently to UI officials stating that support. At a campus forum in October about Hancher/Voxman/Clapp, music faculty and students who spoke were overwhelmingly in support of the downtown location. They said rebuilding near the old, flood-damaged Hancher is too far from the heart of campus. Many long-time , older Hancher patrons who spoke at the two campus forums prefer rebuilding near old Hancher. UI officials had discussed bringing a recommendation on the new location to the state Board of Regents in December. But with the tuition vote likely coming in December and budget cuts consuming much time, it’s possible UI leaders will wait with the Hancher recommendation until February. Perhaps momentum is swinging to the downtown location?
Higher Learning 