Campus Connection

The State Building Commission approves request to increase UWL’s Wittich Hall project budget

The State Building Commission has approved the request from UW-La Crosse to increase the budget for the Wittich Hall Renovation project by $2.128 million, bringing the revised total project budget to $26,746,000. A UW System Board of Regents executive committee had unanimously approved the request at the end of May. The State Building Commission approval was the final step in the approval process. Renovations will begin in July 2018. The construction bid price was 15 percent more than expected due to the increased cost of structural steel over the past 10 months, a significant increase in the hourly rate for Midwestern masonry labor, and the local economy’s low unemployment rate creating a higher demand for skilled labor. Learn more. Project background The State Building Commission approved the Wittich Hall renovation during its December 2017 meeting. A complete renovation of the building’s interior will create an iconic and modern new home for the UWL College of Business Administration. Construction will begin in July 2018 with doors expected to reopen in May 2020. The project is funded through university program revenue. No state tax money will be used.