Gov. Evers Announces Historic Capital Budget Projected to Generate Over $7 Billion in Economic Activity and 37,000 Jobs Statewide

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today announced approximately $4.1 billion in recommended investments in his 2025-27 Capital Budget for the renovation and renewal of the state’s existing infrastructure and to support major projects in 26 counties across Wisconsin.

The governor’s recommended investments will help grow the economy by providing family-supporting jobs and supporting businesses throughout the state. According to Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin, for every $1 in construction spending, there is $1.76 of economic activity in Wisconsin. Additionally, for every $1 million of construction spending, nine jobs are supported in the state’s economy. As a result, it is estimated the governor’s proposed Capital Budget supports approximately $7.3 billion in economic activity and nearly 37,200 jobs across the state.

“These investments are critical to not only address our state’s aging infrastructure but build for our state’s future, whether it’s at our UW System, supporting our veterans, protecting our valuable natural resources, or modernizing our correctional institutions to improve community safety across our state,” said Gov. Evers. “We can’t afford to kick the can down the road on key infrastructure projects across our state, most especially as the cost of building materials may only get more expensive with each day of delay due to potential tariff taxes and trade wars. 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.”

Gov. Evers’ Capital Budget reflects a forward-looking approach to Wisconsin’s infrastructure, prioritizing smart investments that address aging facilities, enhance safety, and prepare state-owned buildings for the future. With a focus on innovation, sustainability, and functionality, the governor’s budget aims to modernize public spaces, elevate higher education facilities, and create infrastructure that supports Wisconsin’s growing communities and evolving needs.

The announcement represents one of the strongest investments to date for Wisconsin’s facility infrastructure and significant planning funds to prepare important construction projects for future enumerations. The governor’s proposal also includes one of the highest investments in the All Agency program in state history, helping to extend the useful life of critical state-owned and university buildings, improve safety and reliability, and decrease operating costs, saving Wisconsin taxpayers money in the long term.

Due to continued obstruction and delays from the Republican-led Legislature, Wisconsin also faces a deferred maintenance backlog that has skyrocketed past $13 billion, with $3.4 billion in critical high-priority needs that demand immediate attention to prevent system failures, safety hazards, and costly emergency breakdowns. Neglecting these urgent repairs would only accelerate deterioration, putting essential public facilities and the communities they serve at risk, and bold, proactive investments in the All Agency program and Minor Facilities Renewal program is essential. By tackling these issues head-on, Wisconsin can modernize aging infrastructure, extend the life of critical assets, and avoid even more disruptive and expensive crises down the road.

The 2025-27 Capital Budget Agency Requests and Governor’s Recommendations can be found here. Highlights of Gov. Evers’ 2025-27 Capital Budget recommendations include:

• A commitment of $325 million for the realignment of correctional institutions in support of Gov. Evers’ Comprehensive Corrections Reform Plan to improve public safety, reduce costs to taxpayers and recidivism, and support corrections staff with a “domino” series of facility changes, improvements, and modernization efforts across Wisconsin’s correctional institutions, including ultimately closing Green Bay Correctional Institution (GBCI) in 2029 and wholly rehabilitating and transforming Waupun Correctional Institution (WCI), facilities that were both built in the 1800s.
• Supporting reforms to the juvenile justice system through continued investments in correctional facilities to further work towards closing Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake Schools as juvenile facilities, including additional bonding to complete the Dane County Type 1 facility on Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC)-owned property in Oregon, planning funds to begin design for a new Type 1 facility in Northeastern Wisconsin, and the expansion of the Grow Academy in Oregon.
• A transformative investment of nearly $1.6 billion in capital improvement projects across the University of Wisconsin (UW) System, ensuring campuses statewide remain at the forefront of education, research, and innovation. This builds on the governor’s budget promise to propose the largest two-year increase in the UW System in state history with a $856 million investment over the biennium to prevent further campus closures, layoffs, and program cuts and ensure the UW System remains the crown jewel of Wisconsin’s workforce and economy for future generations. These projects modernize aging infrastructure, address critical maintenance needs, and create flexible, future-ready spaces for students and faculty. Key projects include:
  • Demolishing and replacing the deteriorating Mosse Humanities Building at UW-Madison, which suffers from severe structural and environmental deficiencies putting students at risk. This investment ensures the Art and Music Departments are relocated into modern, sustainable, and adaptable spaces, securing the long-term future of these programs.
  • Completion of the Prairie Springs Science Center at UW-La Crosse, replacing the outdated Cowley Hall, which lacks fire suppression, has failing mechanical systems, and no longer meets modern science and research needs. This expansion supports STEM education and workforce development by providing state-of-the-art instructional labs and research spaces.
  • Transforming former hospital buildings into a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary Health Sciences hub at UW-Milwaukee. This project unifies programs currently scattered across five buildings, expands instructional labs, and enhances collaborative learning in high-demand fields such as physical therapy, biomedical sciences, and occupational therapy.
• Protecting Wisconsin’s cherished natural resources and enhancing visitor experiences through strategic investments in state parks and forests, critical bridge replacements, trail upgrades, and upgrades to fire response ranger stations. These projects focus on preserving natural landscapes, improving infrastructure resilience, supporting tourism, and ensuring public safety.
• Honoring veterans with more than $137 million in essential upgrades to Wisconsin veterans homes and setting the stage for the future Wisconsin Veterans Museum upgrade and expansion with dedicated planning funds.
• An over $40 million investment to restore and modernize components of Wisconsin’s historic State Capitol, preserving its legacy for generations to come.
• A commitment of over $195 million to strengthen health services facilities statewide, including renovating the food service building at Central Wisconsin Center and upgrading utility infrastructure at the Mendota and Winnebago Mental Health Institutions.
• Advancing clean energy solutions with a $25 million investment for renewable energy construction projects at state facilities, aligning with Gov. Evers’ Clean Energy Plan, supporting the state’s energy reduction goals, and reducing utility costs. These projects include solar, wind, standby generators, and geothermal enhancements to support the state’s energy reduction goals and reduce utility costs to the state. The achieved savings from the reduction in utility costs is used to pay the debt service payments on the bonds.
• Laying the groundwork for future investments by allocating nearly $50 million for preliminary planning and design of upcoming major projects across Wisconsin. This proactive approach ensures that critical projects in state agencies’ six-year plans are more shovel-ready for future capital budgets.
• Aggressively tackling Wisconsin’s $13.1 billion deferred maintenance backlog with a more than $1.2 billion investment in the All Agency program—one of the largest commitments to date—targeting small to mid-sized maintenance and repair projects across all state agencies, including the UW System. Additionally, an over $406 million investment in the Minor Facilities Renewal programs for DOC, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, including almost $230 million for the UW System. This critical funding will modernize aging infrastructure, improve safety and efficiency, and prevent costlier emergency repairs, ensuring Wisconsin’s public facilities remain functional and reliable for years to come.
• Investing funds for preliminary planning, design, and sitework at the Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex.
• Supporting local community projects and fostering stronger, more vibrant communities by recommending four projects for inclusion in his Operating Budget as part of the Grants for Local Projects program. These projects include the Green Bay New Community Shelter, YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee and Community Smiles Dental Health Commons, Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, and the Colfax Railroad Museum.

The Building Commission is chaired by Gov. Evers and comprised of the following members:

• State Sen. Brad Pfaff;
• State Sen. Mary Felzkowski;
• State Sen. André Jacque;
• State Rep. Jill Billings;
• State Rep. Rob Swearingen;
• State Rep. Robert Wittke; and
• Citizen Member Barb Worcester.

The State Building Commission will meet Tues., March 25, 2025, to vote on the governor’s Capital Budget Recommendations. Following that vote, the State Building Commission’s Capital Budget Recommendations are statutorily required to be submitted to the Joint Committee on Finance by the first Tuesday in April for consideration with the governor’s 2025-27 Executive Budget.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.