The
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point received its final legislative approval
to construct a new chemistry-biology building. The State Building Commission
granted authority to proceed with construction during a meeting in Madison
April 29. Its initial approval of the construction came two years ago after the
project was included in the governor’s capital budget.
“This
is the decision point we’ve been waiting for to gain authority to construct,”
said Carl Rasmussen, facilities planning director at UW-Stevens Point.
UW-Stevens
Point faculty and staff are fine-tuning building specifications and expect to receive
final drawings for review in late June. Bids for construction are scheduled to
be released in late August, and opened a month later. With successful bidding,
a contract will be awarded in October.
Ground
breaking is scheduled for mid-October. Construction is expected to be completed
in November 2017.
“It’s
a great day for our students and faculty, and for the future,” said Chancellor
Bernie Patterson. “We appreciate the Building Commission granting authority to move forward with a needed
project that will improve educational experience.”
The
176,500-square-foot building will contain educational labs, lecture halls and
research facilities for biology and chemistry. Flexible room configurations
combined with modern technology will support hands-on learning and student
research, hallmarks of a UW-Stevens Point education.
This
is the first new, free-standing academic building to be constructed on campus
since 1971.
The
Building Commission on Wednesday granted authority to spend $75.18 million, a
slight increase from the $75 million in capital funding approved as part
of the 2013-2015 biennium budget. The additional $182,000, from UW-Stevens
Point student fees and program revenue funds, will be used for a vegetative
green roof on a portion of the building as well as a small café.
A request to use $150,000 of campus funding to design,
complete documentation and verification, and construction supervision necessary
for LEED (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design) certification was denied by the State Building
Commission.
The science building will continue to be designed
and built to meet sustainable LEED standards. Design work is being done by Potter Lawson, Inc.,
Madison; and HOK, St. Louis, Mo.
The
four-story building will be constructed on Lot X adjacent to the current
Science Building and Fourth Avenue. It
will include four 55-seat classrooms, two 110-seat lecture halls and research
and teaching labs on each floor.
The
new space will help prepare students for advanced academic pursuits and success
in today’s technology and knowledge-based global economy, said Chris Cirmo,
dean of the College of Letters and Science. “This
keeps us at the cutting edge of science and the economic driver for central Wisconsin.”
The $75 million in capital funding can only be
used for this building. The
capital budget is separate from the base state operations budget.
Cuts proposed to the UW System budget for the 2015-17 biennium are not affected
by the capital budget, nor can they be reduced by not constructing the science
building.
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