Adam RollinsThe University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) will spend $306.9 million to build a research building and parking ramp. Construction is expected to begin in January 2028.
As part of the university’s first steps in the West Campus District Plan, the project will build a university and private industry research building with an adjoining parking ramp. Designed as a knowledge and innovation hub, the facility’s ground floor will host a selection of retail and service entities.
The remainder of the building will be dedicated to academic and research laboratories, conference areas and office space for faculty, students and industry partners. Further details on how available space will be allocated will be determined throughout the planning and design process.
The facility will be built on the former Biotron Laboratory Building site. UW-Madison plans to repurpose and optimize the area by increasing development density, advancing plans to develop a mixed-use biological sciences district. The project will ensure that the available laboratory space will be flexible and efficient to support programmatic needs and initiatives.
The parking ramp outlined in the project will provide 550 available stalls. In total, the project will cover nearly 288,000 square feet of new construction. As part of efforts to align with the state’s sustainable building guidelines, UW-Madison will design and implement the building plan to be energy efficient, use renewable energy, embrace building resilience and reduce emissions.
Photo courtesy of Michael Barera
