Regents Approve Building, Put Off Business Center

Final approval for a $31 million UW–Madison business outreach facility was delayed by the UW System Board of Regents earlier this month.

But the regents did approve buying land for the facility and gave their OK to several other campus construction projects at their meeting May 8-9 in Stevens Point.

The facility, called the Center for Executive Education, is a 120,000-square-foot building that will house non-degree executive business education programs. The $21.5 million structure will be paid for by the Center for Advanced Studies in Business and university gifts. A 300-vehicle parking ramp for the facility will cost an additional $8.2 million.

The regents delayed a vote on the project after concerns were raised by the Wisconsin Innkeepers Association. The center plans to offer on-site overnight accommodations for business executives participating in the programs, most of which will run three to five days.

The regents did approve purchasing a 1.42-acre piece of land in the 600 block of University Avenue for the center and expanding the campus boundary to include the property. The university will pay the City of Madison’s Community Development Authority $1.16 million for the property and $80,000 a year in lieu of property taxes.

The center project could be approved by the regents at their June meeting.

Other projects approved by the regents include:

• expanding the remodeling and addition project at the Materials Science and Engineering Building by $520,000, bringing the total cost to $5.26 million;
• remodeling 96 units at the Eagle Heights apartments, $3.7 million;
• improving water and sanitary sewer lines from Park Street west to Van Hise and Elizabeth Waters halls, $1.8 million; and
• renovating the student academic affairs area in Agricultural Hall, $249,000.