The Wisconsin Union Directorate wishes to destroy Union South, then spend some $90 million to replace it with a slightly larger building. The existing structure would cost around $50 million to replicate on site. Throwing it away would be stupid.

Instead, let's add a new structure connected via skywalks and sidewalks on the south side of Union South and just east of Wendt Library. That would be a wise use of very expensive urban real estate. Using that patch of soil for the band to march on about seven Saturdays per year when there are home football games would be extremely expensive entertainment and thereby a very foolish use of multimillion-dollar land.

Save Union South and design an addition well so that future additions can be easily connected just in case the UW-Madison enrollment ever grows to 50,000 or 60,000 students during this century. If it ever becomes necessary to demolish the 1970s original Union South structure, then the newer additions could still be used during that reconstruction phase some 30 to 60 years from now.

Ron Renkoski
Madison