The University of Wisconsin-Baraboo will receive $500,000 in federal funds for their new “Living and Learning Center, ” pending the Department of Energy Appropriations Bill is approved and signed by President Barack Obama.
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., first submitted the Appropriations Bill for the funds on April 3, and it was recently passed by both houses of Congress with the 2010 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
According to a statement from Baldwin, the new building is going to be the first energy-sustainable building on a UW campus, and the final project is estimated to cost $15 million. The rest of the funds are expected to be allocated through fundraising, alumni and community outreach
The center is expected to be a “green” residence hall, which will board 96 students and contain a community conference room with a capacity of 125 people.
This “green” center is currently designed to produce its own water and energy. Baldwin added in the statement the goal is for the building to receive platinum certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Gary Brown, director of campus planning and landscape architecture for UW-Madison, said this rating is given by the U.S. Green Building Council, which looks at the components of a building, as well as how it is designed and operated.
Each qualified project is then given a rating of silver, gold or platinum.
“I’m pleased to help bring federal support to this worthwhile local project,” Baldwin said in the statement. “While serving the students, faculty and staff of UW-BSC, the new Living and Learning Center will also serve as an example to the larger community of sustainable design and environmental stewardship.”
UW-Madison is also making some green renovations, which are expected to be completed by the year 2020.
The Campus Master Plan details how different the campus is going to look 10 years from now.
Although many of the planned buildings are environmentally friendly, no building similar to the UW-Baraboo center is expected to be constructed. However, UW is looking into it, according to Brown.
“We have sustainable buildings in development now, but none of them will produce their own energy,” Brown said.
He added the currently planned sustainable buildings include the new Union South, Education Building, Ecology Building and Lakeshore residence halls. All of these new developments are expected to achieve the silver LEED rating.
With the current economic crunch, the question of why Baldwin supported this $500,000 allocation for infrastructure instead of supporting more money for financial aid has arose.
According to Brown, Ogg Hall on UW’s campus cost a total of $36 million to construct and it houses 600 students. This makes a $15 million investment for 96 beds a steep price in the current economy.
“There are other ways in which Congress has dealt with the very real needs of students and their families,” Baldwin’s spokeswoman, Jerilyn Goodman, said.
