On Wednesday, January 26th, UW-Milwaukee welcomed state, county, and city officials for the official groundbreaking of the university’s new chemistry building. To be built immediately west of the LEC at the new building is a welcome addition to campus and will be situated at a prominent site at 1900 E. Kenwood Blvd. “This is going to serve as a gateway to all STEM departments,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. “This is not only huge for the university, but huge for our county and our whole region.” UWM Chancellor Mark Mone also touted the new facility, saying it will better prepare students for fast-growing STEM-related job fields.
The $118 million project is one of a few projects in the works on campus to upgrade UWM’s facilities, and is part of the UW System’s $1 billion 2019-21 capital budget plan. Governor Tony Evers also allocated funds for the project in his annual state budget. When finished in late 2023 or early 2024, the four-story, 163,400 sq ft. building will house state-of-the-art research labs and space for the thousands of students that take chemistry and biochemistry classes every year. The goal is to create a new, modern research and instructional facility that will prepare for the workforce and increase UWM’s research capabilities. “For research, we are a key contributor to the university’s R1 designation for research excellence,” said Chemistry Department Chair Joseph Aldstadt. “We ‘ll be able to significantly enhance our teaching, research, and outreach missions.”
The groundbreaking is a culmination of a 10+ years-long effort between UWM, the UW System, state and local governments, and private partners to replace the current chemistry building. The current building opened in 1972. Recently, it flooded, and it currently does not meet the needs for faculty, staff and students. “So today, no more flooding of chemistry buildings,” said UW System President Tommy Thompson. “No more being voted the worst building. Now we’re gonna be voted the best building, the best opportunity for students.” For renderings and more information on this exciting new campus development visit: https://uwm.edu/news/work-set-to-start-on-new-chemistry-building/.