The rebuilding begins

By Jennifer Hemmingsen – As soon as Susan and William Jones sign the paperwork, contractors can start rebuilding their house.

The final estimate came in – a whopping $332,000 just for the interior work. Insurance will cover $250,000 of that cost. They haven’t yet figured out what to do about the driveway, landscaping and patio, Susan said. Those decisions will come later.

Before they sign, the Joneses are going over the estimates line by line, looking for places to save. They got more bad news at work last week – told they should now expect to be out of the Voxman Music Building for two years, instead of earlier estimates of about a year.

They’re making due. Some students had a hard time finding their classrooms in this first week of the semester. Susan said she’s sure that will all get worked out soon. She’s giving voice lessons in new retail space the University of Iowa is renting for the interim. The acoustics leave a lot to be desired, though, she said.

Video by Elizabeth Hladky

“It’s worse than singing in the shower,” she said. “It’s like singing in the subway.”

She and her office mate have hung quilts on the walls and are bringing in carpets to muffle the sound. The result, she said, will be something less than a decorator’s dream.

“Right now, it looks like a gypsy camp,” she said.

Faculty are taking advantage of the benefits on this side of the river – Susan said she frequently spots peers going out to coffee or lunch downtown.

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