Adam RollinsThis story was originally published in the Government Contracting Pipeline newsletter from Strategic Partnerships, Inc. To have the latest government contracting news stories from across the country delivered straight to your inbox, click here to subscribe.
The University of Wisconsin at Whitewater (UW-Whitewater) will use $89 million to renovate Winther Hall and build additions to Heide Hall. Construction is anticipated to begin in April 2026.
Both halls are around 60 years old and are reaching the end of their useful life. As building systems fail, architecture falls into disrepair and infrastructure proves to be ineffective to meet the comfort and demands of university residents, substantial changes are needed to modernize the buildings.
The university will renovate Winther Hall to fix infrastructure issues, improve instructional and departmental spaces throughout the structure and build new entrances and vertical circulation towers. As part of the project, UW-Whitewater will restructure the facility’s circulation cores to remove obsolete restrooms, replacing them with ADA-accessible circulation and collaborative spaces. Plans include replacing all of the hall’s interior floors, walls and ceilings.
All Winther Hall general access classrooms, lecture halls and instructional laboratories will be reconfigured and expanded, ensuring the facility can accommodate modern station size square footage per student, instructional technology and flexible furnishings. To handle the building’s updated floor plan layouts, UW-Whitewater will replace and reconfigure its mechanical, electrical, telecommunications and plumbing distribution networks.
Most of the renovation work for Heide Hall will target its roof, replacing approximately 25,200 square feet of roof sections, skylights and exterior windows. The university will also build a small addition onto the building to provide accessible restrooms and better vertical circulation. Like with Winther Hall, UW-Whitewater will renovate the building’s circulation core to enhance accessibility and collaborative spaces.
Only select areas of Heide Hall will receive comprehensive replacement and reconfiguration for interior architectural finishes and mechanical, electrical, telecommunications and plumbing distribution networks. Both halls will have their mechanical system controls replaced and reconnected to the central building automation systems and air handling units replaced with new units.
Additionally, UW-Whitewater will replace both buildings’ electrical power and lighting panels, the galvanized domestic water distribution piping and passenger elevators. Plans include replacing the sanitary sewer and storm water piping and upgrading the fire alarm and smoke detection systems.
Photo courtesy Thebox193, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
