University of Wisconsin-Stout Chancellor Katherine Frank urged state leaders Thursday, April 22, to support $5.6 million to allow the university to begin planning and design work for a Heritage Hall renovation.
“We have been requesting funding to support planning and design towards eventual renovation since 2009, and the work simply cannot wait any longer,” Frank told the Joint Finance Committee during a public hearing held at UW-Stout’s Memorial Student Center. “Heritage Hall is one of our largest academic buildings, serving approximately one-third of our students each year. This means approximately 2,500 students have some form of instruction in the building each year.”
Built in 1973 as the Home Economics Building, Heritage Hall provides key learning spaces for family and consumer sciences education, early childhood education, art education, nutrition and dietetics, clinical mental health counseling, the infant and toddler lab and hospitality, restaurant and tourism management, Frank said.
“Heritage Hall has not been updated to meet the ever-evolving needs of these and other programs taught in the building,” Frank said, noting most of the building’s systems, equipment and controls are from 1973. “We must plan and design buildings to be flexible, resilient and efficient.”
The proposed renovation project would allow for the demolition of a portion of the Vocational Rehabilitation Building. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.
