The University of Wisconsin showed its continued interest in the expansion of its research efforts Monday by taking another step toward building the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.

Alan Fish, Vice Chancellor of Facilities Planning & Management, discussed upcoming construction dates with the Joint Southeast Campus Area Committee Monday, and expanded on details concerning the specific contractors and architectural ideas.

"This plan is moving ahead," Fish said. "And, of course, is on schedule."

With the institutes being built between Johnson Street and University Avenue, Fish also stated that the institutes will be able to better concentrate on the scientific disciplines of that area — such as biochemistry and the other science departments housed near Union South.

The dates specified by the committee were brought forward by Rose Barroilhet, director of the Facilities Planning & Management Capital Budget Administration. Barroilhet reinforced Fish's statement by laying out dates for each part of the building process.

"The start of construction is scheduled for June of 2008, with completion in two years," Barroilhet said. "And [the institutes] will be in use in the 2010-11 school year."

The first steps of the building process will only be part of the overall plan, Fish said. Half of the institutes' construction will be completed right away, with the other half being constructed at a later date.

"In phase one, we're really only designing between Orchard Street and Randall Street," Fish said.

With the construction being broken down into parts, UW's senior transportation planner Rob Kennedy said automobile, bicycle and pedestrian traffic problems will be kept to a minimum.

With phase one of the construction process finalized, Fish hopes to see similar progress in the renewal of Union South. If the referendum passes, Fish said he would like to see links between Union South and the institutes. Whether they are via skyway or via underground passageways, he said connections would not only be a great merger of the research institutions and the social epicenter of the south part of campus, but also as a great way to reduce traffic in the area.

"One of our goals is to link the north and south much more effectively — below the ground and even possibly above the ground — especially if we could build some parking on these sights as well," Fish said.

According to Fish, these research institutes will help to progress the university's research efforts and will help to bridge the many sciences of that area.

With the building of the Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery just around the corner, planners hope it will only be a matter of time before the university's next great research center will come across the world's next great discovery.