CONTACT:
Rep. Jill Billings
(608) 266-5780
MADISON, Wis. – Today, Rep. Jill Billings (D-La Crosse) voted in favor of allowing renovation of UW-La Crosse’s Wittich Hall to move forward. The vote took place during her first meeting as a member of the Wisconsin State Building Commission. The Building Commission oversees and approves all state building projects, including those within the University of Wisconsin System.
“I’m glad one of my first votes as a member of the Building Commission was to support a project at UW-La Crosse,” Rep. Billings said. “This is a great plan for repurposing an iconic building on campus. It will bring Wittich Hall into the 21st century while keeping this landmark on campus and preserving its historic character.”
The project proposed by UW-La Crosse will renovate the 100-year-old campus building. The building is listed on the Federal Register of Historic Places, and all upgrades will maintain this status. The $24 million renovation will be funded with project revenue cash and use existing campus reserve funds. The project and specific spending funds were given unanimous approval in March of 2014 by the UW-L Student Association, Faculty Senate and the Joint Planning and Budget committee.
“This is a unique opportunity for UW-L to pull funds from various reserve sources for this project,” Rep. Billings continued. “Through upgrading technology and concentrating the College of Business Administration and the Small Business Center into one building, we will add value to our campus and grow this academic program, which will aid in attracting and retaining both faculty and students.”
The Wittich Hall project passed the commission unanimously.
