Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

UW-River Falls Plans $117M STEM Facility

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/23/22

The University of Wisconsin-River Falls, located in River Falls, Wis., is in the final phases of planning construction on a new, $117-million STEM facility. The project has been approved by the university’s Board of Regents but still needs approval from the state Building Commission, which rejected the proposal during 2021 state budget discussions. The regents approved the project during its regular meeting on Friday, June 10, according to local news.

The new Science and Technology Innovation Center would provide 73,865 square feet of academic space for biology, chemistry, health sciences and pre-engineering programs. Its first floor would also offer space for collaborations with regional businesses.

University Chancellor Maria Gallo said that about 60 percent of the student body enrolls in a STEM course during their time at the university. UW-River Falls also produces the third-highest percentage of STEM graduates within the UW System, she said. The growing demand for STEM degrees led to the pursuit of a new facility.

“That'll be good to have state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and learning, as well as laboratory spaces to do the same and also to conduct student research, which is really important,” Gallo said. “That's one of those high-impact practices that allow students to complete their degree and then go on and be very marketable out in the workforce.”

Regents first approved the $117-million price tag in 2020. Since then, inflation has driven up construction costs, and designs have been altered to keep the project under budget. Local news reports that the state Building Commission unilaterally rejected all building projects from Gov. Tony Evers’ capital budget for 2021. Gallo said that this time around, the project has strong bipartisan support from regional legislators. The Commission will review the project in August.

“I’m confident that because we’ve met all the milestones up to this point, that we should be able to go forward,” said Gallo.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • California Middle School Breaks Ground on Major Renovation Project

    The Hillsborough City School District (HCSD) in Hillsborough, Calif., recently began construction on new multipurpose and administration facilities for Crocker Middle School, according to a news release.

  • Esports are Growing in Popularity

    Video games and esports are a popular social hobby, and it’s one that’s accessible to a wide variety of physical ability levels. Some esport student-athletes have started to earn scholarship opportunities, and high schools are beginning to form teams equipped with the same degree of resources as their physical sports teams. However, the two have very different needs.

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.