The Badger Herald: News: Union South budget goes up

News

Union South budget goes up

UW regents approve $7.1 million, partly from MU renovation

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Also by Signe Brewster:

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Doyle signs state budget by deadline (July 3, 2009)
Legislature passes budget compromise (June 26, 2009)
Two teens charged in homicide on Southwest side (June 11, 2009)
Strange man enters dorm rooms of 8 females in Witte Hall (May 7, 2009)

By Signe Brewster
Sunday, February 8, 2009 11:46 p.m.

4 Vote 0 Votes

An extra $7.1 million was approved Friday toward the construction of the new Union South, bringing the total cost of the project to $94.8 million.

Associate Director of Wisconsin Union Hank Walter said the Union Council, which oversees the project, was faced with the choice of scaling back the Union South project or increasing the budget with funding from other sources.

The project is a part of a referendum passed in 2006 that increased student segregated fees by $96 a semester to pay for a new Union South and the renovation of Memorial Union.

“Do you stay at the same budget and not fulfill the commitments that were made in the referendum campaign? Obviously, the choice the council made was to fulfill the commitments,” Walter said. “At a minimum, we need to do what is promised in … the referendum itself.”

Walter said about $4 million of the increased funding will come from sources like the Visitor Information Center and campus parking, which account for part of the increased cost.

The other $3.1 million will come from funds previously allocated to the renovation of Memorial Union.

Walter noted that part of the reallocation of funding was due to bigger priorities with Union South. He also said as the Union South component is already underway, there is more room to raise further funds on the Memorial Union side.

Wisconsin Union Vice President for Project Management Dan Cornelius said the increased cost is not ideal, but a commitment to honor what students agreed to in the original referendum is the priority.

“We wish that we could build more buildings for less money. No one is happy about it,” Cornelius said. “We want to meet a new south campus union that will meet the needs of the campus now and in the future. We felt that this was the best decision to make moving forward.”

The increased funding was approved during the Board of Regents meeting, where the construction of the new Union South was also given the final go-ahead.

The new Union South is expected to be complete in 2011. Students will pay $96 a semester in segregated fees until 2040 to help fund the building.

4 Comments | Leave a comment

Anonymous | February 9, 2009 1:26 AM | Reply

“At a minimum, we need to do what is promised in … the referendum itself.”

In the interest of all concerned, would the Badger Herald print the language of the referendum that was passed?

Anonymous | February 9, 2009 1:34 AM | Reply

Here’s a promise from the Union when they were trying to twist arms to get the referendum passed in 2006 after it failed in 2005. From the BH in march, 2006:

“Varney admitted renovations for the Wisconsin Unions is necessary but urged the WUD to seek funding from outside sources, such as alumni and sponsors.

However, Hetzel said the WUD has sought funding from alumni and sponsors and added they would be more receptive to donating money for the project if they knew it had the support of the student body.

“If students pass the referendum, that’s going to show potential donors that … it really is a student project,” Hetzel said.

So… where are the alumni and donors who want to support this? They aren’t there, they never were there and they are not going to be there. Someone needs to evaluate the level of dishonesty used to pass the referendum and seriously question the propriety of taking money from the Memorial Union project (which people supported) and put it into demolishing and then building something no one will come to…

Anonymous | February 9, 2009 7:03 AM | Reply

Since a significant amount of money is being diverted from the Memorial Union, it’s reasonable to have students vote on the process. And I’m guessing that students would vote no.

Anonymous | February 9, 2009 9:26 AM | Reply

If the building will not be completed until 2011, students really should have started paying the $96/semester THEN. Those students are the ones that will have the pleasure of taking advantage of all the new Union South will have to offer, as well as the students still paying in 2040.