Students at EICC’s Muscatine campus have more room to learn, build, create, and prepare for what comes next.  
After a major $2.2 million renovation, Gaekle Hall is once again welcoming students with larger classrooms, updated technology and more space for hands-on learning. 
 
EICC will celebrate the transformation with a public ribbon cutting at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, at 152 Colorado St.  
Gaekle Hall was one of the first buildings built on the Muscatine campus. More than 60 years later, the building has been reimagined for how students learn today. 
 
The horticulture classroom and lab expanded from 739 to 1,239 square feet, giving students more room for projects and new technology tied to landscape design. Information Solutions students now have additional space for computer projects, and an expanded computer lab provides more workstations.  
 
Gaekle Hall is also now home to the Teacher Preparation Career Academy and Game and Simulation Development program, a program new to the Muscatine campus. 
 
Updates to the electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling systems, as well as exterior improvements, ensure the building will serve students well for years to come.  
 
“This renovation gives Gaekle Hall new life,” said Naomi DeWinter, president of Muscatine Community College. “Students now have spaces that better reflect how they learn, with access to the technology they need. We’re incredibly grateful to the partners who made this investment in our students and community possible,” she said.  
 
The project was supported by a $1 million Career Academy Incentive Fund grant from the Iowa Department of Education, EICC capital funds, the MCC Foundation, and generous support from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust and HNI Foundation. 
 
The changes come as more area high school students are getting an early start on college and career training. Career Academy enrollment at the Muscatine campus grew 34% from fall 2024 to fall 2025.        
                                    
Accessibility and student support were a priority. An accessible restroom was added to the upper level. The Testing Center previously located in Gaekle Hall moved to the Loper Student Learning Center, connecting students more closely with tutoring, library resources, and disability services. 
 
Gaekle Hall is named for Louise Gaekle, a Muscatine educator who taught mathematics and physics, and led an aviation training program at the college during World War II.