Planners outline building priorities

The Campus Planning Committee has unanimously endorsed 10 building projects for 2001-03, including a $19.8 million renovation of Chamberlin Hall and construction of a $22.8 million University Health Services building.

The Chamberlin renovation and the health services building, which would likely be built in the 700 block of University Avenue and include space for student activities, are the top two priorities of five projects forecasted to be financed in the 2001-2003 state budget. The other three, in priority order, are a $32.7 million renovation of the Mechanical Engineering Building; $10 million in utility systems upgrades; and $1.8 million for the first part of an Integrated Dairy Facility in Marshfield and Arlington.

Of the $87.1 million total for the five recommended projects, $60.9 million would come from state-supported borrowing, according to Facilities Planning and Management.

Two additional projects were approved for design stage in 2001-03: Microbial Sciences building, a replacement for E.B. Fred Hall that would house the departments of bacteriology, medical microbiology and food toxicology; and renovation of Sterling Hall, which would move the rest of the Physics Department to Chamberlin and allow the Psychology Department to move into Sterling.

Five other projects approved by the CPC do not include requests for state money and would be financed by program revenue, gifts and grants. They include expansion of Camp Randall Stadium; $9.1 million to replace the Charmany Animal Facilities on Madison’s near west side; $1.1 million to replace and relocate the Soil and Plant Lab near the research station on Mineral Point Road; $14.5 million for the University Ridge Phase Three expansion, which will include a second 18-hole golf course; and $5 million to expand Weeks Hall.

Approved Jan. 20, the CPC recommendations now go to Chancellor David Ward for consideration. The chancellor will then submit a construction request to the UW System, which will forward recommendations from all UW System campuses to the Board of Regents later this year. If approved by the Board of Regents, the projects will be considered by the State Building Commission for inclusion in the state budget.