The doors are reopening at the UWM Student Union just in time for the start of the fall semester.
After closing during the summer break because of construction, parts of the union are scheduled to reopen Friday, Sept. 2, including the Panther Shop, UWM TechStore, Books by eCampus and the PantherCard office.
Food service is scheduled to resume the first day of classes on Tuesday, Sept. 6. However, portions of the building remain closed as the two-year renovation project reaches the halfway point.
“The summer has brought some amazing progress,” said Mike Schmit, interim director of the Student Union. “While renovation work continues this year, the union is committed to accommodating students, faculty, staff and the community as much as possible.”
The 350,000-square-foot building that serves as a centerpiece for campus life opened in 1956, though the union hasn’t had a major facelift since the structure was last expanded 35 years ago. Beautifying the exterior facade, updating infrastructure and improving aesthetics to create more open and welcoming spaces are among the goals for the project, which is expected to cost about $40.5 million.
“UWM appreciates everyone’s patience as we make progress toward unveiling a brighter and modernized union in fall 2023,” Schmit added.
Visit the UWM Student Union renovation project website for more information.
One block west of the union, construction continues on the new Chemistry Building, with the sidewalk on Kenwood Ave. to remain closed through the academic year. Related utility work underway between the old Chemistry Building and the Engineering & Mathematical Sciences building may require walkways in the area to close temporarily at times. Alternate routes will be posted in those cases.
Updates on work at the Northwest Quadrant, Sandburg Residence Hall and other campus locations can be found in this UWM Report post, with more detailed information available on the UWM Campus Planning site.
