The University of Wisconsin La Follette School of Public Affairs is set to move into the historic UW Music Hall, set to be renamed Herb Kohl Hall in honor of the late Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., according to UW News.

According to UW News, Herb Kohl Hall is expected to open in 2029 and will represent Kohl’s legacy and honor the contributions he has made to the La Follette School and his commitment to furthering education.

Herb Kohl Philanthropies, a philanthropic organization started by Herb Kohl, pledged to contribute $30 million to the school’s expansion, according to UW News. With a new public policy undergraduate major expected to be offered starting this fall, the La Follette School is expected to grow significantly, according to UW News.

The school has already experienced rapid growth over the past few years, driven by the addition of the public policy certificate in 2019 and the health policy certificate in 2022, according to UW News.

The new Kohl Hall will serve as a hub for students in the La Follette School, according to La Follette School Director Susan Webb Yackee.

“This new building will provide a real one-stop shop for students who are interested in our career services and public policy or in our advising services,” Yackee said.

Currently, the La Follette School operates across 28 buildings, making it difficult for students and faculty to interact, Yackee said. With the need for a space where faculty and students can congregate and host gatherings, Music Hall fits the La Follette School’s needs, Yackee said.

Originally, Music Hall was named Assembly Hall and was “a central meeting place for all types of university activities,” according to UW Libraries. Assembly Hall was known for hosting big social events, so Kohl Hall will be bringing back the building’s original use, Yackee said.

By having this new space designated for the La Follette School, the school will now be able to host events with politicians, public policy leaders and more, Yackee said.

The interior renovations to Music Hall will include transforming the current space into an area that will offer studying space, particularly for group studying, as public policy education is often group-focused, Yackee said.

Kohl Hall will soon be the place where students have difficult conversations surrounding today’s political environment and lead the next generation, Yackee said.

“We are very excited about educating the next generation of policy leaders, that’s our goal, and this building is going to help,” Yackee said.