Governor’s budget proposal includes new engineering building and needed infrastructure advancements across campus

Governor Tony Evers today introduced his proposed 2023-25 capital budget to legislators, enumerating a number of University of Wisconsin—Madison building projects in the next two fiscal years.

Evers’ proposal includes state support for a new College of Engineering building, a critical need for the university that will result in hundreds of additional Engineering graduates in fields that are vital to Wisconsin employers.

The $347.3 million engineering building (with $150 million funded by private gifts and grants), is designed as a state-of-the-art engineering facility, helping to attract and retain talented faculty members and allowing the College of Engineering to enroll more students, sustaining the college’s top standing in research and graduate education.

“We thank Governor Evers for prioritizing this critical project. I look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers to share the tremendous value of an engineering facility, both to grow our number of engineering graduates and for our world-changing research in areas ranging from clean energy to semiconductors to transportation, areas that are critical to the economic development of the state,” Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin says.

Other building projects included at UW–Madison include:

• Restoration of Music Hall. This project repairs, restores and replaces interior and exterior spaces and systems within the 140-plus-year-old building.
• Relocation of the School of Education’s Art Department out of the Humanities Building. This project creates a new, unified home for the School of Education’s Art Department in a renovated and expanded art facility and moves the university a major step closer to emptying the Humanities Building, which is slated to be demolished.
• Replacement of steam utilities in south central campus. The project completes critical central heating and cooling plant and utility distribution system repairs, required to maintain campus utility operations.
• Replacement of the Camp Randall Sports Center (commonly referred to as the Shell). This project, paid for entirely by existing bonding and revenue generated by the Athletic Department, replaces the Camp Randall Sports Center with a new indoor football practice facility on the same site. It repurposes, expands, and renovates the McClain Athletic Facility and select lower-level spaces in Camp Randall Stadium.
• Kronshage-Jorns-Humphrey residence halls renovation. This project renovates Kronshage, Jorns, and Humphrey student residences to provide building code and infrastructure upgrades.

“An investment in UW–Madison’s capital building projects directly supports Wisconsin’s future workforce and positively impacts the educational outcomes of thousands of students,” Mnookin says.

The legislature will debate and amend the budget bill this spring before sending it back to the governor, who is expected to finalize it in June or July.

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.