Campus Connection

Gov. Evers includes four projects at UWL

Four capital improvement projects at UW-La Crosse have received the green light from Gov. Tony Evers.

Four projects totaling $161.128 million have been recommended to the State Building Commission from the governor. They include:

• $83 million for the Prairie Springs Science Center Phase 2

• $49 million for a new fieldhouse and soccer field support building

• $15 million for renovations to Coate and Sanford residence halls

• $14 million for HVAC updates in Graff Main Hall.

“We’re very grateful to Gov. Evers for appreciating how vitally important these projects—particularly phase two of our Prairie Springs Science Center—are to the future of UWL and the La Crosse region,” says Chancellor Joe Gow. “We hope legislators in both the state assembly and senate will share the governor’s enthusiasm and vote to approve our projects as the state budget is finalized.”

The Prairie Springs Science Center building and Graff Main Hall improvements would be funded through taxpayer, general purpose revenue, while the fieldhouse and residence hall renovations would be funded through program revenue.

The governor recommended nearly $1.1 billion in capital improvement for the entire UW System, with $506 million funded through state borrowing. A total of $38 million is earmarked for UW System-wide classroom renovations and technology upgrades, as well as $35 million for System-wide utility improvements.

Evers’ proposal for the UW System doesn’t include a new residence hall at UWL, which had been requested by System last summer.

The State Building Commission will give its approval to projects on March 20. Then, the Joint Finance Committee must give its approval when the legislature completes the 2019-21 biennial budget later this year.