Gov. Evers Announces State Building Commission Approves $374 Million in Projects Across Wisconsin

WEST ALLIS — Gov. Tony Evers announced today that the Wisconsin State Building Commission met at State Fair Park and approved a total of approximately $374 million in key building projects at state-owned facilities and properties statewide. This includes projects such as replacing a fire response ranger station in Crandon, reconstructing the dam at Pattison State Park in Superior, improving food service and laundry facilities for veterans at the state veterans home in King, and campus improvement projects at University of Wisconsin (UW) facilities across the state.

“For eight years, this body has been hard at work to approve projects that will support generational development at our state institutions and facilities, and today’s vote was no exception,” said Gov. Evers. “From our state parks to our UW System schools, these projects will help make these spaces stronger and more resilient for students, state employees, and visitors to our great state for years to come.”

Highlights of the Commission’s approved projects include:

• The sale of the two underutilized state facilities, known as GEF 2 and 3, located at 101 and 125 S. Webster St. in the city of Madison. The sale of the two buildings is part of the Evers Administration’s Vision 2030 Plan, which aims to consolidate state building space around the state to reduce costs to taxpayers. The sale of these facilities will reduce the state’s office space by 135,334 square feet and will avoid an estimated $213 million in repairs necessary to bring the facilities up to modern safety and operational standards;
• Approval of Phase II of the Utility Improvements project at Mendota Mental Health Institute, addressing necessary utility infrastructure replacements to provide reliable services to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ (DHS) buildings and patient population;
• Replacement of the Fire Response Ranger Station in Crandon that will replace the existing 1930s-era facility, better supporting the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) operational needs, protecting pertinent forestry, wildlife, and law enforcement equipment, and improving emergency response to Oneida, Florence, Marinette, Oconto, and Langlade counties;
• Reconstruction of the 100-year-old Pattison State Park dam following a breach of the southern embankment as a result of heavy rainfall. This project will provide important repairs to ensure a safe and compliant dam for the heavily used park;
• Approval of the Food Service and Laundry Facility upgrade project at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King that will replace the existing, deteriorated Central Services Building with a new facility to house a modern kitchen, laundry facility, and IT center;
• Authority to construct the UW-Madison Veterinary Diagnostic Lab located in Barron County, which will modernize the facility, provide the necessary BSL-3 laboratory capabilities, and overall, improve safety, efficiency, and the ability to support testing and service needs of the state;
• Authorization of two projects in the 2025-27 Instructional Space Projects Program that will renovate Lapham Hall into an Active Learning Classroom at UW-Milwaukee, as well as relocation and construction of a new Athletic Training Learning Laboratory and Cadaver Laboratory at UW-Green Bay, all providing modern, code-compliant instructional spaces to better support academic needs;
• Approval of a multi-building Telecommunications Cable Replacement project at UW-Parkside and a multi-residence hall Fire Sprinkler System Retrofit project at UW-La Crosse as part of the Minor Facilities Renewal Programs, both of which prioritize reliability and safety; and
• Approval of 37 maintenance and repair projects across 16 counties for the Wisconsin Departments of Administration, Corrections, Military Affairs, Veterans Affairs, DHS, DNR, State Fair Park, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and UW System, addressing critical infrastructure needs, improving facility reliability, and protecting public assets across Wisconsin.

The Commission is chaired by Gov. Evers and made up of the following members:

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

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.

Recent Press Releases by Gov. Tony Evers

Gov. Evers, WHEDA Announce $50 Million in Affordable Housing Loan Program Awards to Support the Creation of More Than 1,900 Affordable Housing Units Statewide

Aug 12th, 2026 by Gov. Tony Evers

Awards build on Evers Administration efforts to expand access to safe, reliable, affordable housing, supporting over 35,000 affordable housing units since 2019

Gov. Evers Requests FEMA Support to Assess and Respond to July Storm Damage in Wisconsin

Aug 10th, 2026 by Gov. Tony Evers

Governor’s latest efforts to help communities recover from severe weather after Trump Administration’s repeated denial of Wisconsin’s requests for disaster aid

Gov. Evers Appoints Jake Laehn as Buffalo County Sheriff

Aug 7th, 2026 by Gov. Tony Evers