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listen to this articleEAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s $344 million multi-phase science and health sciences building project is ready to take its next step as the state seeks a prime contractor. The project has been underway in stages since 2019, and construction of the science building is expected to take two years.
Bidding is now open for the five-story, 330,000-square-foot learning center, according to the Wisconsin Project Center. The sixth floor will feature a mechanical equipment space, a greenhouse, and an observation deck. The building will house multiple university programs, including biology, computer science, and earth science.
Bidding for general contractors will end on March 20th.
Construction of the new building will cost about $245 million, according to state bid information. University officials plan to break ground in July 2024, with a final opening scheduled for fall 2026.
Funding for the new construction will come from a variety of sources, including the 2023-2025 state budget and private donations. University officials said the Wisconsin Board of Regents approved retrofitting the chiller plant below campus to accommodate the air cooling needed for the science building.
Madison-based Potter Lawson and Chicago-based HOK worked with Eau Claire College to prepare a feasibility study and produce initial project renderings.
The university plans to demolish Phillips Hall, the school’s current science facility, and redevelop part of it as expanded parking and green space, university officials said. In 2022, the university will demolish Katherine Thomas Hall and Putnam Hall to make way for the Science and Health Sciences Building.
“Phillips Hall was not designed to accommodate modern STEM education, which requires interdisciplinary labs and student-faculty collaboration within flexible spaces that foster innovation.” University officials sent a letter to the state Building Commission.
The state appropriated $109 million in 2019 to shore up the first phase of the project, university officials said.
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