U. of Wisconsin Gets Green Light on Construction, Despite State Shortfall

The Wisconsin state budget will be almost $6-billion in the red in the near future, but the University of Wisconsin at Madison may still push ahead with $580-million in building projects, reports The Capital Times.

Wisconsin taxpayers would cover $81.6-million of that $580.9 million, with the rest coming from gifts, grants, and university revenue, the paper reports. Part of the money will go toward the building of the Wisconsin Energy Institute, which will conduct research on biomass energy. The Charter Street coal plant, which had been the focus of a recent Sierra Club lawsuit, will also get an upgrade in the spending spree. Officials will convert the plant to a biomass-burning facility.

Other planned projects include a tower for the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, an off-campus library-storage facility, a new women’s hockey arena, and a renovation of softball and tennis facilities.