Memorial Union set to undergo renovations, upgrades

Starting next summer, the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Memorial Union will begin a two-year renovation project, giving the campus icon its first comprehensive restoration in nearly 85 years.

The first phase of the Memorial Union Reinvestment project at the Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St., will involve the west side of the building and affect the fifth floor, the Wisconsin Union Theater, as well as spaces for the Craftshop craft media and art facility and Hoofers outdoor recreation program.

Renovations will start next summer and are expected to end by the summer of 2014.

“I don’t think there’s another building on campus that everybody — absolutely everybody — relates to,” Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier said at a media briefing on the project.  “We have a responsibility and stewardship to this building to preserve its legacy.”

In 2006, UW–Madison students approved a $96 fee each semester for the next 30 years to fund the renovation at the Memorial Union and construction of a new Union South. The Memorial Union project will also be funded with private donations and union operating funds; the first phase of the renovation will cost $52 million.

At the time, students said they wanted to see greater accessibility and infrastructure safety in the Union, renovated space for Hoofers, an improved lakefront, upgraded technological capabilities and expanded student lounge space.

Student input has continued to drive the project, with plans taking shape based on feedback gained from students through forums, interest groups and surveys, said Wisconsin Union President Katie Fischer.

Union officials have also worked with the Wisconsin Historical Society to preserve the building’s historic integrity. The Memorial Union opened in 1928 and the Wisconsin Union Theater was added in 1939.

Users won’t see any changes to building access until construction begins next summer.

Memorial Union — including the Terrace — will remain open during the first phase, but the west wing of the building, including the theater, will be closed. Hoofers is expected to be closed for only the 2013 season, but plans are being developed to find alternative space for all Hoofers clubs.

The renovation will provide Hoofers with an additional 8,000 square feet of space.

Once the first phase is complete, a second phase of construction will result in the renovation of the union’s central wing, commons wing and adjacent areas.

“We don’t believe we have the support to close down the entire building at the same time,” Guthier said. “We’ve thought very critically and strategically about how to shut it down in phases.”

The new Union South opened this spring after two years of construction, with dining, a market, state-of-the-art event spaces and an eco-conscious 60-room hotel.

Some community members have raised concerns about an expanded lobby for the Wisconsin Union Theater, which they fear would reduce lakefront views and recreation space on the Memorial Union Terrace.

The lobby, which could be used by students and Wisconsin Union members, includes a rooftop space overlooking the lake. Such an expansion is necessary to provide space for theater patrons to mingle before events and during intermissions, Guthier said.

Project architects studied the lakefront carefully, Guthier added, going so far as to do a study of Lake Mendota sunsets to ensure the lobby didn’t obscure treasured views of the lake. He said he anticipates the new structure would mean greater seating available on the Terrace.

Anyone interested in learning more or commenting on the planned upgrades may attend a public forum on the project from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 30. An extended question and answer session for those with concerns about how Hoofers will be affected is set to run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (For the exact location, check Today in the Union).

Fischer said students are also being encouraged to become involved in the process over the next year as final decisions are made about the project.