Final approval sought for Engineering Building

On a 4-4 vote, the State Building Commission did not authorize several building projects on UW campuses across the state, including the new Engineering Building at UW–Madison.

The Dec. 18 decision prevents UW–Madison from moving forward on the project until it is granted authority to construct or demolish the current site.

“At least one member of the Building Commission who voted not to move forward today also said that he ‘desperately’ wants to get the Engineering Building done,” said Craig Thompson, Vice Chancellor for University Relations.  “So do we. This building is good for our students, good for industry, good for research, and good for the state of Wisconsin.”

Any prolonged delay will add to the cost of the building and introduce risk to its success.  “Time is certainly of the essence. We stand ready to sit down with members of the legislature and State Building Commission to continue conversations, answer questions, provide additional information and resolve any remaining issues as quickly as possible,” added Thompson.

Supported by Wisconsin industry leaders, the new building will allow UW–Madison to enroll more engineering students to the College of Engineering to meet the unquestionable demand for engineers in this state and help to keep graduates in Wisconsin, working for Wisconsin-based companies.

The College also aims to remain a leading institution in research related to critical technologies such as clean energy, water, robotics, autonomous systems, and sustainability.