Posted 8:22 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014
This October UW-L broke ground on a new student center. This fall students also voted in favor of building a new fieldhouse.
[caption id="attachment_4602" align="alignright" width="770"]
UW-L students, faculty and staff pictured as they break ground on the university's new student center.[/caption]
This October UW-L broke ground on a new student center. The approximately 205,000 gross-square-foot building will soon begin to take shape on the parking lot east of Wimberly Hall, across the street from the Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.
In April 2012 UW-L students voted to build the new center rather than repair Cartwright Center, built in 1958 with additions in 1964 and 1985.
More recently, students cast their vote on another project that will open up more activity spaces, both indoor and outdoor, for Rec Sports, the Exercise Sports Science Department and Athletics. Students voted to increase student fees to help pay for a new fieldhouse during an online referendum Oct. 14-15.
Rendering of UW-L's new student center[/caption]
The new center is expected to open in early 2017. Located at the heart of campus, the three-story building incorporates design elements from the surrounding landscape. The building’s edifice emulates Grandad Bluff. The main floor mimics 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, several meeting spaces, dining areas, indoor and outdoor recreation areas, admissions offices and more.
The $53.3 million building is funded by student fees. No taxpayer dollars will be used. It replaces Cartwright Center, which was built when UW-L had 1,772 students. Today the university has 10,558 students. Find more information on the student center. View the live webcam of student center construction.
Image of UW-L's new fieldhouse.[/caption]
A 115,000-square-foot fieldhouse — larger than the Recreational Eagle Center — is planned to go up on the grass area between Roger Harring field and Emerson Elementary School, north of Mitchell Hall. Construction of the fieldhouse would start in June 2017 and be complete in spring 2019. In addition to fieldhouse construction, the project also includes an artificial turf field, three natural grass fields and renovation of Mitchell Hall fieldhouse.
A total of 3,656 students voted with 56.2 percent in favor of the $29 million fieldhouse project. It was the largest turnout in a student referendum in school history. In a note to campus, UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow said he knew of few other universities with such a large percentage of their students involved in making such an important institutional decision. UW-L Student Association President Kaylee Otterbacher echoed those remarks.
“I am very impressed with the turnout of the election. I was excited to see so many students taking an active role in the process,” she said. “I think we had such a high turnout because students are starting to notice the impact that these projects are having on their student fees. They are taking an active role in deciding how much education should cost and if these large projects are truly beneficial.”
The fieldhouse will still require approval from the UW System Board of Regents, State Building Commission and the state legislature as part of the 2015-17 state biennial budget.
To pay for the project, the university would contribute $9 million and students would pay for the remaining $20 million. Student fees would gradually increase starting during the 2015-16 academic year and level off at $66 a semester once the building is constructed.
In addition to opening up activity space in a new facilty, the Mitchell Hall renovation would will give the gymnastics team a 15,500-square-foot gymnastics facility in the renovated area. The gymnastics team will be displaced when the College of Business Administration moves into a renovated Wittich Hall.
Learn more about the fieldhouse.
UW-L students, faculty and staff pictured as they break ground on the university's new student center.[/caption]
This October UW-L broke ground on a new student center. The approximately 205,000 gross-square-foot building will soon begin to take shape on the parking lot east of Wimberly Hall, across the street from the Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.
In April 2012 UW-L students voted to build the new center rather than repair Cartwright Center, built in 1958 with additions in 1964 and 1985.
More recently, students cast their vote on another project that will open up more activity spaces, both indoor and outdoor, for Rec Sports, the Exercise Sports Science Department and Athletics. Students voted to increase student fees to help pay for a new fieldhouse during an online referendum Oct. 14-15.
New student center
[caption id="attachment_4603" align="alignright" width="890"] Rendering of UW-L's new student center[/caption]
The new center is expected to open in early 2017. Located at the heart of campus, the three-story building incorporates design elements from the surrounding landscape. The building’s edifice emulates Grandad Bluff. The main floor mimics 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, several meeting spaces, dining areas, indoor and outdoor recreation areas, admissions offices and more.
The $53.3 million building is funded by student fees. No taxpayer dollars will be used. It replaces Cartwright Center, which was built when UW-L had 1,772 students. Today the university has 10,558 students. Find more information on the student center. View the live webcam of student center construction.
Fieldhouse gets green light
[caption id="attachment_4604" align="alignright" width="1000"] Image of UW-L's new fieldhouse.[/caption]
A 115,000-square-foot fieldhouse — larger than the Recreational Eagle Center — is planned to go up on the grass area between Roger Harring field and Emerson Elementary School, north of Mitchell Hall. Construction of the fieldhouse would start in June 2017 and be complete in spring 2019. In addition to fieldhouse construction, the project also includes an artificial turf field, three natural grass fields and renovation of Mitchell Hall fieldhouse.
A total of 3,656 students voted with 56.2 percent in favor of the $29 million fieldhouse project. It was the largest turnout in a student referendum in school history. In a note to campus, UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow said he knew of few other universities with such a large percentage of their students involved in making such an important institutional decision. UW-L Student Association President Kaylee Otterbacher echoed those remarks.
“I am very impressed with the turnout of the election. I was excited to see so many students taking an active role in the process,” she said. “I think we had such a high turnout because students are starting to notice the impact that these projects are having on their student fees. They are taking an active role in deciding how much education should cost and if these large projects are truly beneficial.”
The fieldhouse will still require approval from the UW System Board of Regents, State Building Commission and the state legislature as part of the 2015-17 state biennial budget.
To pay for the project, the university would contribute $9 million and students would pay for the remaining $20 million. Student fees would gradually increase starting during the 2015-16 academic year and level off at $66 a semester once the building is constructed.
In addition to opening up activity space in a new facilty, the Mitchell Hall renovation would will give the gymnastics team a 15,500-square-foot gymnastics facility in the renovated area. The gymnastics team will be displaced when the College of Business Administration moves into a renovated Wittich Hall.
Learn more about the fieldhouse.