Editor’s note: This article was updated to remedy factual inaccuracies regarding the specific budget numbers and source quotes.
Last Monday, Gov. Tony Evers released his 2025-2027 capital budget plan, which proposed allocating funds toward the demolition of the George L. Mosse Humanities Building and expanding other areas of campus to account for the arts and music programs, according to a Evers press release.
The capital budget proposal earmarks $293.4 million in program revenue-supported borrowing, backed by University Housing revenues, to expand on-campus housing, according to University of Wisconsin News.
The proposal also allocates funds for the initial planning and design of renovations for dining facilities in Dejope and Chadbourne residence halls, according to UW News.
The humanities building, which has more than $70 million in deferred maintenance, houses 11 unusable lecture halls, faces a deteriorating building structure and has an inefficient layout.
Evers emphasized the importance of preserving the university’s strong academic standards.
“We must take the important steps necessary to invest in building a 21st-century infrastructure, workforce and economy, and I am hopeful that these recommendations will receive bipartisan support to get these projects done that communities across our state are depending on,” Evers wrote in his press release.
State Rep. Renuka Mayadev, D-Madison, said she supports Evers’ budget proposal.
The proposed budget includes significant funding for infrastructure, academic programs and student resources across the UW system, Mayadev said.
“This is a historic investment in the UW system, which we need to fund our land grant, an amazing university,” Mayadev said. “Then there’s also the campuses around the state that need to be funded.”
Mayadev noted that maintaining and improving these institutions is essential for ensuring access to quality education across Wisconsin.
But, the chance of large-scale government spending like the current capital budget being passed on March 25 without debate is slim, Mayadev said.
“The likelihood is probably very low,” Mayadev said. “We are divided so the majority in both the Assembly and the Senate is held by the opposing party, so we have to come to a compromise.”
The capital budget plan will return to the legislature for debate and revisions before being sent back to the governor for approval, Mayadev said.
As for students and facilities who will be impacted by the changes, Mayadev can not say.
“I’m not privy to all the information about where our students and faculty and staff will go, but it’s really important that the arts and music departments have a place to operate,” Mayadev said.
Both the art and music departments at UW contribute $11.9 billion in Wisconsin’s creative sector as well as contribute to 89,000 and counting job opportunities for alumni, according to the UW website.
The final approval for the budget is expected to come later this year, though the timeline remains uncertain, according to Mayadev.
If passed, construction and efforts could begin as early as August 2027, potentially displacing students and faculty, while university leaders and lawmakers continue negotiating the future of these investments, according to Mayadev.