University of Iowa pulls out of art museum partnership

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa has dropped a planned public-private partnership for construction of a new Museum of Art building on a major downtown Iowa City intersection.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen (http://icp-c.com/1LepBjL ) reports that university officials informed H+H Development Group, which includes Hodge Construction and the Hieronymus family, that it wouldn't seek a long-term lease agreement for the partnership Monday.

The university's business manager, David Kieft, says that officials became concerned about the cost, estimated at $80 million.