Governor’s budget plan includes Humanities demolition, expansion of campus housing capacity

Gov. Tony Evers today released a 2025-27 capital budget plan that includes top building and facilities priorities that advance the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s academic and research missions.

“Thank you to Gov. Evers for recognizing urgent infrastructure improvements that are critical to maintaining UW–Madison’s competitive edge in education and research,” Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin says. “We are grateful for the governor’s commitment to investing in essential projects that will ensure the state’s flagship will continue to meet the needs of our state and its workforce. We also deeply appreciate the continued advocacy on our behalf from the Universities of Wisconsin and the Board of Regents.”

Evers’ plan calls for $262.6 million in state funding to demolish the campus’s outdated Humanities Building and relocate the art and music programs by expanding existing buildings. The project will be supported by $30 million in philanthropic gifts to the university from alumni and supporters.

The Humanities Building, opened in 1968, has a backlog of $70 million in deferred maintenance and structural deficiencies that create barriers to educational effectiveness. Currently, there are 11 lecture halls that are unusable due to deteriorating building conditions and lack of audio-visual capabilities. Demolishing the outdated Humanities Building and relocating the art and music programs are crucial investments that will serve Wisconsin students and create space for growth that directly benefits Wisconsin’s economy and workforce.

The capital budget proposal also includes $293.4 million in program revenue supported borrowing (PRSB), funds supported by University Housing revenues, to construct additional housing on campus, as well as funding for preliminary planning and design to renovate dining hall facilities in the campus’ Dejope and Chadbourne residence halls.

While there is no requirement for students to live in University Housing, UW–Madison has a long-standing goal of guaranteeing housing for all first-year students. Student housing issues constrain enrollment growth, hindering the ability to grow workforce capacity in the region and state.

As student enrollment continues to rise, UW–Madison’s housing facilities are filled to 115% of their designed capacity, with rooms designed as doubles serving as triples and some lounges converted into bed space. The university is partnering with state, local and the private sector to tackle the issue.

“Additional student housing along with the renovation of existing housing sites is a part of the overall solution to the housing shortage in our community,” Mnookin says. “Additional housing, built using zero taxpayer funds, will add 1,500 to 2,000 additional beds, alleviating overcrowding and ensuring that our students have stable, affordable housing.”

The capital budget also includes funding to address critical infrastructure needs across the Universities of Wisconsin campuses, including renovations to Van Vleck Hall, a roof replacement at Vilas Hall, and exterior updates to Waters Residence Hall. Other projects in the package include multi-building upgrades to fire alarms, elevators, and digital controls that will enhance safety and energy efficiency, and funding to plan modernizations of electrical and thermal storage systems to improve efficiency at the Charter Street Heating Plant.

“We look forward to working with the governor and our legislative partners to make sure these important investments are included in the capital budget to maintain the high-quality education and student experience Wisconsin residents should and do expect from UW–Madison,” UW–Madison Vice Chancellor for University Relations Craig Thompson says.

Evers released a 2025-27 biennial budget proposal in February that includes an additional $856 million in funding over the biennium for the Universities of Wisconsin and a fully funded compensation plan for UW employees. That plan and the capital budget now go to the legislature, which will debate and amend it this spring before sending it back to the governor.

To learn more about the latest UW–Madison budget news, resources and priorities, visit the state budget website, and subscribe to the twice-monthly Government Relations newsletter.