The Iowa Board of Regents has given final approval to a plan that creates a larger home for the Tippie College of Business.

The project will create a one square block business education campus by linking the Pappajohn Business Building with neighboring Gilmore Hall. The new complex will provide both an improved educational experience for University of Iowa business students and better connect the college to the state’s business community. 

“Our newly reimagined business campus will serve as the launch pad for the next generation of leaders, with spaces built to match the ambition of its students and programs,” said Amy Kristof-Brown, Henry B. Tippie dean of the college. 

The new facility will provide badly needed space for an outgrown Pappajohn Business Building while providing the state’s business community with improved access to the college’s resources. 

“Tippie will be open for business,” said Kristof-Brown. “We can’t wait to show Iowa employers and businesses how easy it will be to access Tippie’s resources to help solve your business challenges. Whether we’re providing new research insights that help the state’s insurance industry or providing marketing advice to a small business owner, this new building will be an asset to our state’s business climate.”

Opened in 1994, the Pappajohn Business Building was built for an enrollment of 1,600. The college exceeded that enrollment years ago and in the 2025-26 academic year, had an enrollment of 4,700, a number that’s expected to grow further in coming years. 

Gilmore Hall was built in 1910 as the College of Law. It currently houses the Graduate College, Department of Religious Studies, Office of Undergraduate Research, and Division of Sponsored Programs, all of which are expected to move to other buildings on campus this fall. 

Gilmore will add 43,800 square feet of space to the 228,800 square feet in the Pappajohn Business Building. An additional 28,600 square feet of new space will be built to connect the two buildings.

The complex is symbolically putting the student experience in the center of the building by putting student success services in the literal center of the building. 

“From the new atrium, a student will be able to see student advising, the Frank Business Communication Center, career services, mental health and wellness services, and other student success resources,” said Kristof-Brown. 

The $65 million project will be funded primarily through private philanthropic contributions, along with support from college reserves and university capital improvement funds. Construction is anticipated to begin in early fall 2026 and span approximately two years. 

Regents unanimously approved the proposal on June 16.

More details about the project can be found here. 

Media contact: Tom Snee, 319-384-0010 (o); 319-541-8434 (c); tom-snee@uiowa.edu