Iowa State's new LeBaron Hall, expected to be finished by 2026, will feature 100-seat classroom

Iowa State University's 66-year-old LeBaron Hall is getting a substantial makeover.

The university held a groundbreaking for the new home of the College of Human Sciences on April 18.

Combined with additional renovations of McKay Hall and the Human Nutritional Science Building, the estimated $51.5 million project will demolish and replace LeBaron Hall, creating a two-story commons area, a multipurpose courtyard and renovated lobbies.

Construction is expected to be finished by 2026.

LeBaron Hall serves 5,000 students, faculty, and staff weekly, motivating school officials to push for a larger and more adaptable facility.

The project was made possible through private donations, including a $15.5 million lead gift, and university funds.

“The new LeBaron Hall will be a hub of hands-on activity centered around student learning,” said Laura Dunn Jolly, College of Human Sciences Dean and Dean’s Chair said in an Iowa State news release in September. “Labs and classrooms are designed to be flexible as industries change, ensuring this facility serves generations of future Cyclones.”

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Where will classes be held during construction?

Much of the LeBaron Hall's faculty has already been relocated to other permanent locations to plan for building demolition, while classes and hands-on learning labs specific to the apparel program moved over winter break into MacKay Hall. Classes that didn’t require specific equipment were relocated to other areas.

Iowa State previously held a groundbreaking ceremony earlier this month for the university's Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. The new facility opened in March, allowing some services to transfer from its previous location in Patterson Hall.

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A look inside the new LeBaron Hall

The new LeBaron Hall will be located on the northwest corner of the Iowa State campus at 626 Morrill Road. The original building, built in 1958, will be expanded to 30,000 square feet, complete with two additional above-ground floors.

The new facility will include a 100-seat university classroom, studios for the college’s nationally ranked apparel program, experiential learning space for the event management program, and a historic textiles and clothing lab.

Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen said the transformative project that includes renovations to McKay Hall is an example of forward-thinking donors who share Iowa State's vision for the future.

“This new facility supports our commitment to provide a student-centric, world-class education now and in the future,” Iowa State University Wintersteen said.

A separate 10,000-square-foot addition will connect several different buildings with the new LeBaron Hall via a collaborative, two-story lobby.

“From the beginning, our vision was to create a space that powers student learning and innovation,” Dunn Jolly said. “Generations of Cyclones will benefit from the hands-on learning opportunities the new LeBaron Hall will provide.”

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Additional construction at the College of Human Sciences

The adjacent Human Nutritional Science Building is already undergoing a handful of renovations.

The project will merge all facets of textile science research, which had been housed in LeBaron Hall and McKay Hall, into the Human Nutritional Science Building’s second floor. To improve teaching, research, and collaboration, a textile science classroom will also be built near the research lab.

McKay Hall's Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom, first opened in 1926, will be relocated to the first floor of HNSB. The student-run establishment provides students with “real-world” experience operating a restaurant. Its new location will be across from the Parks Library.

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Iowa State University's LeBaron Hall is getting a $39 million makeover