The University of Wisconsin Primate Research Center is staged to expand their facilities onto land animal rights activists had hoped would be the site for a new museum protesting experimentation on monkeys.
Ending a four year legal battle, University Research Park, a UW research partner, purchased the land adjacent to their existing lab at 1220 Capitol Court for $1 million in July.
The land was sold to the university by Roger Charly, owner of Budget Bicycle in downtown Madison. Charly said he originally planned to sell the land to the animal rights activists four years ago, but they were unable to come up with the money.
When he received an offer from University Research Park, he sought to dissolve his prior agreement with the animal rights activists.
“We wanted the land not only because it was a perfect parcel of land for an expansion, but also because the animal rights activists would disrupt researcher and their research,” Fish said.
Rick Bogle, one of the museum’s primary organizers and animal rights activist, said Charly had been trying to sell to the university for quite awhile, but they did not become interested in the property in a realistic way until they found the activists plans for the museum.
“I liked both sides in the matter,” Charly said. “I wish I had two pieces of land to make both people happy, but I think there is going to be some really great research done there.”
The animal rights activists took Charly to court, winning in the initial trial before losing in the appeals court and having their request for a supreme court appeal rejected.
The original plans were to build an educational facility with changing exhibits displaying the abuse of monkeys and apes around the country, but specifically to talk about UW primate research history, cover ups and scandals, Bogle said.
“I think [the idea] still has merit, but it was such a powerful location that it would be hard to duplicate,” Bogle said.
UW plans to use the land to build a 23,500 square foot addition onto the existing primate center to house all the animals currently part of the behavioral psychology research project, according to Alan Fish, associate vice chancellor for facilities, planning and management.
These animals are currently housed at the Harlow Center for Biological Psychology, an old converted cheese factory, according to UW spokesperson Terry Devitt.
Fish added the new facility will be better for humans and primates alike, with more efficient, cleaner and safer facilities than the existing building.
UW has applied for $15 million in federal economic stimulus funds to build the addition, which they hope to be approved by this coming February, Fish said.
In a separate request, UW has also asked for $2.1 million to equip two existing labs with higher level safety barriers and security, required by the government to do research on infectious diseases, according to Fish.
