WARF building transferred to university

After 30 years, ownership of the WARF building — the only privately held property at UW–Madison constructed for university purposes — has been transferred to the university.

Until this month, the 14-story building at the southwest corner of Walnut Street and Observatory Drive has been owned and maintained by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization that manages the intellectual property of UW–Madison.

To help alleviate a campus space crisis in the late 1960s, WARF agreed to construct the building and to convey its title to the UW at the end of a 30-year lease period. Since the building’s completion in 1971, the foundation’s offices have occupied the 13th and 14th floors with the university leasing the remaining 12.

“WARF has been a good partner,” says Doug Rose, director of space management, the liaison office between the university and WARF. “The university received very reasonable terms that would have been difficult to obtain from a private sector developer on the open market.”

Over the years, the building has served as a home to several academic programs, a few UW Hospital departments and various campus support units, including Facilities Planning and Management.

In the future, Medical School programs will move into the building as part of the HealthStar initiative, Rose says. HealthStar is a partnership between the state and UW–Madison to expand facilities for the university’s medical research and services. WARF will continue to occupy its original space as well as expand to the 12th floor.

The building’s distinctive triangular shape, which provides stunning views of University Bay and campus, was chosen over several other models by WARF’s Board of Trustees, says Howard Bremer, who has worked for WARF for 40 years. In fact, William Kellett, the board’s building committee chair during construction, reportedly became so enamored of the design that he built a house in the shape of the WARF building on a lake near Appleton.

Space Management and WARF have worked together over the past several years to make certain the building was transferred to the university in top condition, says Ken Lutz, WARF’s controller.

Improvements include a new roof and elevators and an upgraded fire alarm system. Rose feels the responsibility of the ownership change.

“I’m now in the role of trying to provide WARF with the same high level of service and stewardship to ensure that the building continues to serve their needs,” he says.