Technology building receives $70 million for renovation, expansion – Northern Iowan

The Industrial Technology Center (ITC) will be seeing significant changes over the next few years as the Board of Regents recently approved an over $70 million renovation.

This project is set to start in May 2022 and is estimated to be completed by Jan. 2024. The project is both a renovation and expansion of the ITC, which was valued to be more cost-effective than constructing an entirely new building.  

Located on the southeast side of campus, the ITC was originally completed in 1975. Since then, it has housed the Department of Technology, which includes six program areas: Construction Management, Electrical Engineering Technology, Technology Management, Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Graphic Technologies and Technology & Engineering Education.  

These fields of work are some of the fastest growing in Iowa.  In order to respond to the constant development of technology and the need for workers, the Department of Technology aims to increase their enrollment from 500-700 students by 2025.  Doing so will require more space for classrooms and more specialized lab spaces with industry-standard equipment.

The ITC has undergone a number of renovations since its original opening. One of the last significant updates was the addition of the 5,000 square foot Metal Castings Lab in 1990. Metal casting is the process of pouring liquid metal into molds to create specifically shaped metal objects, which is just one example of the incredibly specialized training students receive at the ITC.

New changes to the building will include more areas for student collaboration, infrastructure updating and reorganized space to create larger classrooms and labs in order to accommodate a larger volume of students.  

The technology programs themselves will also be seeing a facelift through the renovation process. The building was originally built with the intention of training shop class teachers, and the demands of the technology industry have changed dramatically since that time.  Modernization will allow students exposure to industry-standard equipment and methods, better preparing them for the demands of the current technology sector, as well as the future of the industry.

The department also hopes that a modernized building will open the doors for further opportunities. The hope is that the improved building and program will increase student enrollment, as well as appeal to more industry partnerships to set up future careers for graduating students.

Ninety percent of graduates from the Department of Technology find job placement in Iowa.  This investment in renovation intends to benefit not only the university, but also the entire state by preparing new generations of work forces with a higher quality of education.

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