IW Old Gym will be demolished

MT. PLEASANT — While Mt. Pleasant City Council recently approved resolutions moving toward the demolition of the old gym on the former Iowa Wesleyan University Campus, the overall state of buildings and outcome following the university’s closure is positive.

According to Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Rachel Lindeen through the work of the IW Taskforce, which Lindeen described as “the community’s way of representing and hosting potential buyers for Iowa Wesleyan and connecting them to the board of trustees and to the USDA,” every building including seven houses, the dormitories, central campus, the wrestling facility, and the practice facility were sold. except for the old gym.

“There was little to no path forward on it,” Lindeen said.

As Lindeen updated the County Board of Supervisors, she informed them funding for the tear down and asbestos abatement for the old gym is anticipated to come from grants and then selling the property as green space, though, details for funding and demolition are not solidified at this time.

This funding, however, would need to funnel through the city. So, the Mt. Pleasant City Council approved a sub-recipient agreement with the Mt. Pleasant Area Economic Development Commission to provide management assistance with the grant. Additionally, the council approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Steve Brimhall to submit a grant to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for remediation funds to go toward demolishing the old gym.

Despite needing to demolish the old gym, Lindeen’s report of the former IW campus remained positive.

“All of that has a reinvestment in the next five to seven years of equaling $100 million,” Lindeen said, “$20 million of that is with a school vote, but I think when we all sat here last spring, we would have never expected us to say it's all been sold and has a path forward. So, kudos to the task force to the board of trustees and the USDA for making it happen. It took all levels of government, federal, state, county, city and private to make it happen.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com