Groundbreaking set for Arboretum expansion

The university will officially begin work Wednesday, May 10, on a $3.1 million addition and remodeling project for the Arboretum visitor center and a new Native Wisconsin Garden.

Chancellor David Ward will speak at a 3:30 p.m. groundbreaking at the visitor center, 1207 Seminole Highway, Madison. Other speakers are Greg Armstrong, Arboretum director; Virginia Hinshaw, Graduate School dean, and Karen Crossley, president of the Friends of the Arboretum.

Larger version Artist’s rendering of the Arboretum McKay Center addition. (Courtesy of Taliesin Architects)

The project includes a 16,200-square-foot addition to the visitor center, including a 250-seat auditorium and other space, and installation of a four-acre Wisconsin Native Plant Garden surrounding the building.

Planning for the project began in 1994, when landscape planners, Arboretum staff members and representatives from the university and community formulated a blueprint for the future development of the Arboretum. The plan called for three elements critical to the Arboretum’s future success: A new collection of Wisconsin native plants, expansion of the visitor center and an extensive interpretive program.

The $3.1 million capital project will be funded completely through private sources, the result of efforts by Friends of the Arboretum and the generosity of alumni, friends, private foundations and Madison-area residents.

However, due to Dane County’s construction boom, actual costs are expected to be about 20 percent above estimates. Contributions are still being sought to ensure that all necessary aspects of the project are completed, especially additional offices and parking to accommodate increased use.

A major portion of the funding for the two-level addition comes from Sally Mead Hands, Wilmette, Ill., whose gift will help construct the auditorium, which features high quality audio-visual capabilities and flexible seating. The Oscar Rennebohm Foundation, a long-time supporter of Arboretum programs, also contributed toward the auditorium cost.

“The auditorium will allow us to improve and expand our programs for university, public and professional audiences,” says Armstrong. “It will serve many more people than we can now with our existing classroom space.”

Margaret Van Alstyne, Madison, is providing support for the master plan and the native plant collection. The new plant collection will invite visitors to learn about and appreciate Wisconsin’s rich natural heritage. An interpretive program will guide visitors to a greater understanding of our natural heritage and the significance of ecological restoration.

Other features include exhibit space, a browsing library and a gift shop.

Taliesin Architects of Madison is the project architect. Darrel Morrison of Athens, Ga., is the landscape architect for the Wisconsin Native Plant Garden.

The Arboretum was established in 1934 by a group of Madison citizens and university scientists concerned about loss of biodiversity, degradation of the natural environment and the increasing alienation of people and nature. Over 66 years, the Arboretum has become a model for ecological restoration.