The Wisconsin Building Commission has approved approximately $374 million in key building projects within the University of Wisconsin (UW) system, schools, health facilities, parks and other state-owned properties.
Among the projects approved was an expansion and modernization of the UW-Madison Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Barron County. The project will add BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratory capabilities, improve safety and address space and facility needs at the laboratory that supports the state’s agricultural economy.
In state parks, a 100-year-old dam on the Black River in Pattison State Park will be reconstructed after suffering major damage during heavy storms and floods in 2018. Several temporary and structural repairs have been made over the years, but the project is expected to provide a long-term solution while improving conditions at Interfalls Lake, the swimming beach and the water flow over Big Manitou Falls.
The commission also approved improvements at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, where food service and laundry spaces will be upgraded to replace a deteriorating Central Services Building. The project will provide a more modern kitchen, laundry and IT area.
Other infrastructure improvements include Phase II of the utility improvements project at Mendota Mental Health Institute. The project supports utility infrastructure replacements for Department of Health Services buildings. DHS officials say the upgrades will allow the department to provide reliable, uninterrupted services to patients and expand services for youth at the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center.
Along with the construction and repair projects, the commission authorized the sale of two properties, GEF2 and GEF3, on South Webster Street in Madison. The properties are currently home to state offices, including the headquarters for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Wisconsin Department of Administration put the buildings up for sale as part of the Vision 2030 State Office Consolidation Plan, in part because the properties have more than $200 million in combined deferred maintenance needs. By moving the DNR to a smaller 119,671-square-foot space at Hill Farms, the agency’s footprint will be reduced by 55,606 square feet.
Photo by Valentin Ivantsov from Pexels
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