Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_29023" align="alignleft" width="890"] Architectural rendering of the new student center southwest entrance.[/caption]

No taxpayer dollars will be used to fund $53 million project

The UW System Board of Regents approved the design and construction of UW-La Crosse’s new student center during meetings Thursday and Friday in Madison. No taxpayer dollars will be used to fund the estimated $53.3 million building, which will be entirely funded by student fees. In April 2012 UW-L students voted to build a new facility rather than repair Cartwright Center, the current student union, which opened in 1958 with additions in 1964 and 1985. Construction will start in July 2014 on the parking lot east of Wimberly Hall, across the street from the Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. The new location puts the center closer to residence halls and adjacent to the main campus entrance. The building is anticipated to open in July 2016. The new student center would be a three-story, 204,787 gross-square-foot building. The edifice is designed to emulate Grandad Bluff and the main floor would mimic the convergence of the three rivers in La Crosse with three main entrances converging upon an information desk and central gathering place. The interior space will house the university bookstore, food service venues, a coffee house, entertainment café, study areas, lounges, student organization meeting rooms, student senate chambers, a large multipurpose room with performance area, dining areas, indoor and outdoor recreation areas, admissions offices and more. The building will incorporate a sustainable design strategy with the goal of achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification. Two UW-L buildings, Centennial Hall and Eagle Hall, which opened in 2011, have already received LEED® Gold certification. Cartwright Center has not seen any significant interior renovations, except cosmetic updates to the food service areas. The facility no longer serves the student population or campus community well. It is one of the most publicly accessed buildings, but it is not ADA compliant. When Cartwright was built, UW-L had 1,772 students. Today the university serves about 10,400 students. Check out more renderings and information.