For generations of Iowa fans, the towering structure featuring the famous Tigerhawk logo has stood as a familiar backdrop on game days at Kinnick Stadium. But this summer, one of the University of Iowa’s most recognizable landmarks will begin disappearing from the skyline.
University officials have confirmed that the longtime Hawkins Drive water tower a fixture on campus for more than six decades will be dismantled beginning in July as part of a sweeping infrastructure modernization effort designed to support the university’s ambitious future expansion plans.
The removal marks the end of an era for a structure that has watched over countless Hawkeye football Saturdays, campus celebrations, and historic moments since it first rose above Iowa City 66 years ago.
Preparatory work for the demolition is scheduled to begin on July 6, while the actual dismantling process is expected to start on July 10. According to university officials, crews will continue removing the structure during weekends through the end of August.
The aging tower, located along Hawkins Drive near Kinnick Stadium and University of Iowa Health Care facilities, holds approximately 750,000 gallons of water. However, it has now been officially decommissioned following the completion of a significantly larger replacement tower.
That new facility, located in Parking Lot 75, came online in March and dramatically expands the university’s water storage capabilities. The replacement tower can store an impressive 2.7 million gallons of water — more than three times the capacity of the outgoing structure.
University leaders say the upgraded tower is critical to supporting future campus growth.
According to documents presented to the Iowa Board of Regents, the new water tower was specifically “sized and designed to serve the future patient care tower and the overall campus.” Officials have described the new system as a major step forward in improving reliability while meeting increasing demands across both the university and health care systems.
The enhanced infrastructure also aligns with the university’s broader 10-year facilities strategy, which includes a proposed $2 billion inpatient tower project at University of Iowa Health Care.
Although recent changes in federal funding policies could potentially affect portions of those long-term plans, the university has already invested heavily in several enabling projects designed to pave the way for future expansion.
Among those initiatives is construction of a new Health Sciences Academic Building, which will eventually house programs currently located inside the Wendell Johnson Speech & Hearing Center. The existing center is expected to be demolished as part of future redevelopment efforts.
Removing the old Hawkins Drive tower will require a highly coordinated operation.
University officials say specialized crews will use cranes and other heavy equipment to carefully dismantle the tower section by section. Rather than bringing down the structure all at once, workers will lower each piece individually in an effort to maximize safety.
Because of the tower’s location adjacent to busy hospital facilities, the university is limiting demolition work exclusively to weekends.
Construction activities will occur from 6 p.m. on Fridays through 3 a.m. on Mondays beginning July 10 and continuing through late August.
Despite the scale of the project, officials insist patient care operations at nearby University of Iowa hospitals will not be disrupted.
Hospital administrators have emphasized that maintaining safe and reliable access to the University of Iowa Health Care main entrance remains a top priority throughout the demolition process.
Still, visitors, patients, employees, and Hawkeye fans traveling through the area should prepare for significant traffic adjustments.
The hospital loop south of Parking Ramp 1, along with the valet parking lot, will close every weekend during the project. Vehicles exiting Parking Ramp 1 or leaving the Stead Family Children’s Hospital main entrance will instead be rerouted along Hospital Drive toward Newton Road.
In addition, Hawkins Drive itself will remain open but restricted to a single northbound lane and a single southbound lane during weekend construction periods.
Pedestrians will also encounter several changes.
On weekdays, foot traffic near the university’s main entrance area will be redirected along a temporary sidewalk located south of the work zone.
Weekend visitors will face additional restrictions, as the Hawkins Drive sidewalk stretching from the Center for Disabilities and Development to the Stead Family Children’s Hospital will be closed entirely. University officials say clearly marked detour routes will remain available.
One important access point, however, will remain operational throughout the project.
The Level 2 skywalk connecting Parking Ramp 3 to the university campus is expected to stay open, although pedestrians may occasionally be stopped by safety personnel for brief periods of up to five minutes while demolition work is underway.
For many Iowa supporters, seeing the iconic Tigerhawk tower disappear will undoubtedly bring a sense of nostalgia. The structure has long served as a visual symbol of campus life and has appeared in countless photographs taken around Kinnick Stadium.
But university leaders believe the transition represents something bigger an investment in Iowa’s future, ensuring that campus infrastructure can support the next generation of students, patients, and Hawkeye athletics for decades to come.
As cranes move into position and demolition crews begin their work in July, a familiar piece of the Iowa skyline will soon become part of Hawkeye history.
