Work begins on Education Building’s renovation, expansion

Work to renovate and expand the Education Building on historic Bascom Hill is beginning — with the goal of creating a focal point for the School of Education and serving its mission into the future.

A major gift from graduates John and Tashia Morgridge makes it possible to restore the historic elements of the building and reconfigure it to serve the school’s needs.

“The generous gift from the Morgridges allows us preserve and enhance the historic character of a century-old central campus building, add the east wing envisioned by the original architect, and extend the building’s useful life for at least another century,” says Julie Underwood, dean of the School of Education and interim provost. “The Morgridges envisioned this project as a model for how careful restorations of historic buildings can be effectively done by promoting creative and innovative approaches.

The $34 million project will add a three-story east wing to the building, restore the wood-paneled main lobby and central staircase, and add a central commons area with views of Lake Mendota. It will also cluster state-of-the art classrooms and student services in the building’s lower level and add underground parking and a green-roofed plaza on the side facing Observatory Drive.

The design also does away with the idea of a “back side” to the building by having major entrances on the Bascom Hill and Observatory Drive sides of the building.

Underwood says that the project will allow all of the school’s diverse departments, regardless of physical location, to be represented in the building in some form. Once renovated, the building will house four of the school’s eight departments — two more than it did before the project.

It will also enhance the building’s historic character, while providing updated restrooms, better lighting and places for people to meet and work together.

“We look forward to providing a welcoming, centralized place where our students, faculty, staff and others can gather, collaborate and exchange ideas,” says Underwood.

Work on the project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2010. Because of the construction, officials expect that traffic on Observatory Drive will be disrupted at times, with temporary lane closures likely.

For more information and updates about the project, visit Education Building Renovation & Addition Project.

Construction safety

Campus construction officials are urging pedestrians to heed “sidewalk closed” signs along the north side of the Education Building as construction begins there. “It really is a dangerous situation, because pedestrians coming up or down the hill are ignoring posted signs and fencing designed to encourage their safe passage of Bascom Hill,” says Angela Pakes Ahlman, project manager for the building’s renovation.

“Instead, students, faculty and staff are disobeying obvious warnings by walking in the street near the hairpin turn on Observatory Drive, and they often are not visible to motorists,” she adds.

Signs at the top of Bascom Hill and in front of Radio Hall direct pedestrians to take a safer route using the main sidewalks on Bascom Hill.

“We’ve taken all sorts of measures to direct people to safer routes — we’ve posted signs, erected fences and all of us on the project have taken turns going there to try to shoo people away and warn them of the dangers,” she says. “We’re concerned someone will be hit by a car or bus.”

The signs were posted to eliminate conflicts between construction activity and pedestrians during the project, which is expected to take about 18 months.