Building Commission Approves $624 million budget, smallest since 2003-2005

MADISON – March 25, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Earlier today the State Building Commission approved a $624 million capital budget.

Representative Robb Kahl (D-Monona) made the following comments after the vote:

“While I appreciate the Governor’s desire to have no new borrowing due to our financial situation in Wisconsin, I do have serious concerns that by not making adequate investments in our buildings and infrastructure, we’ll end up having to pay significantly more for projects in the future.”

During the Building Commission meeting, several members from both sides of the aisle voiced their concern over the decision not to fund a new Chemistry Building on the UW-Madison campus. The current building serves more than 13,000 students each year and is facing serious HVAC and other building safety issues.

“The UW-Madison Chemistry Building is a perfect example of a project that most folks can agree needs to be built, but the process is unable to go forward due to a lack of new bonding,” Kahl continued. “It isn’t just projects in Madison either. All across the state, from Platteville to Stevens Point and La Crosse, there are UW projects that are stuck in the development process. The more these projects get pushed back, the more expensive they become.”

“Despite my concerns, I ultimately voted in favor of the capital budget because I understand the need for this limited list of projects to move forward,” Kahl concluded. “It is my hope that, as the Capital Budget goes through Joint Finance and through each house of the Legislature, my colleagues will continue to look at the capital budget as a means to make necessary investments in our state and find ways to fund those projects Wisconsin needs most.”