Gov. Doyle: Breaks Ground on Major UW-Oshkosh Building Project
By37 Million Project Will Create Over 2,000 Jobs, Champions Governor’s Clean Energy Goals
Governor Jim Doyle
Oshkosh, WI – Governor Jim Doyle today joined campus leaders, donors and supporters to break ground on the NewAcademicBuilding at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The $37 million construction project, the first new academic construction project at the university in over 35 years, will greatly improve campus facilities and is estimated to create over 2,000 jobs in the next three years. The NewAcademicBuilding also takes great strides toward achieving Governor Doyle’s ambitious goals for energy independence.
“The UW-Oshkosh project will support our efforts to grow northeastern Wisconsin and ensure we can meet the growing demand for higher education,” Governor Doyle said. “Our world-class universities have always been the engines that drive Wisconsin. Even in tough times, we must invest in the institutions that will make us stronger in the years ahead. Today, I’m proud we’re moving forward on a project that creates thousands of jobs and leads the way toward energy independence.”
UW-Oshkosh’s new academic building will provide additional classrooms and facilities to serve its record-breaking enrollment increase. The $37 million construction project is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs over the next three years, including those in construction-related fields such as masonry, electrical, architecture, pipefitting and plumbing.
In 2006, Governor Doyle issued an Executive Order (EO 145) that requires all existing and new state buildings to conform to high environmental and energy efficiency standards. The UW-OshkoshNewAcademicBuilding works toward this goal by championing energy efficiency, renewable fuels and sustainability.
The distinctive, 191,000-square-foot building will house 14 academic departments and will incorporate clean energy sources and gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) energy efficiency standards. The efficiency measures are estimated to reduce energy use by 45 percent, saving the UW-Oshkosh more than $182,000 annually. The building design also uses recycled and renewable materials and incorporates water efficiency and solar collector technologies.
Governor Doyle also announced today that as a result of the competitive bidding process the building came in more than $10 million under budget. The state will invest some of the savings in additional renewable energy projects including a rooftop photovoltaic system, ground-mounted photovoltaic collectors and wind turbine generators. In total, 14 percent of the building’s energy will from renewable sources.
The NewAcademicBuilding was approved in the 2007-2009 state budget. Construction is estimated to take 22 months and the building plans to open in fall 2011.
Posted @ 11:13 p.m.
