Plans to build UW-Madison’s new $419 million engineering building got back on track Friday after the state’s Building Commission — which initially denied UW system’s request to reallocate millions in state funds for the Madison project and others — signed off on the transfers.
The commission, which oversees and approves building projects for all state agencies and the UW system, last month denied the transfer of $70 million from a UW-Eau Claire health and sciences building that no longer needed the money to numerous other building projects around the UW system.
The December vote was deadlocked at 4-4, with votes falling along party lines after Republicans on the commission complained of a lack of transparency over changes to the engineering building, including plans to add a business partnership floor to the building aimed at opening a direct pipeline between students and businesses in the state that may one day employ them.
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A rendering of UW-Madison’s new engineering building, shown from the northwest angle along Campus Drive.
Sen. Andre Jacque, R-De Pere, said Friday he appreciated the additional information he had received from the UW system but did not elaborate. In a memo provided by Jacque’s office, UW system officials expressed interest in increased communication and transparency with members of the Legislature moving forward.
The commission unanimously passed the reallocations after minimal discussion. The transfers include $29 million for UW-Madison’s Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center building, $10.5 million for renovations for two UW-Whitewater classroom buildings, $5.4 million for UW-Stout’s Heritage Hall addition and renovation, and $25 million for the UW system’s small projects fund, which covers smaller repairs.
“While it’s unfortunate that these reallocations to help support UW campuses across our state were unnecessarily delayed, I’m glad they were finally approved today to ensure these critical projects can move forward,” Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
Both UW-Madison’s engineering building and UW-Whitewater’s renovations were included in the current state budget after UW system President Jay Rothman and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, struck a deal to reclassify some of the UW system’s diversity, equity and inclusion employees, and put a freeze on hiring additional DEI employees and administrators, among other things.
Prior to that, Republicans controlling the state’s budget-writing committee had left the engineering building out of the two-year state budget entirely, a move that shocked university leaders, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and industry leaders who had advocated for it.
UW-Madison hopes to break ground on the building in spring, with an opening set for fall 2028.
“We appreciate the long-standing support the UW-Madison Engineering Building has received from Governor Evers, the legislature, and the business community,” Rothman said in a statement posted on X. “The new facility will serve as a critical asset to move Wisconsin’s economy forward.”
The engineering building had been projected to cost $347 million, but the price rose to $419 million, partly due to increased costs but also due to adding another floor. That $43 million project will be paid for by industry partners, eager to locate engineering businesses on campus.
That addition would allow engineering businesses that rent space on the seventh floor to have better access to collaboration with university researchers and labs, and allow students to complete internships on campus.
