Campus makes space for new science and technology building
October 14, 2021
In the past, students have walked in and out of the bustling Hagestad Hall, home to an assortment of programs. Last year, Hagestad Hall was busier than ever as it housed the COVID-19 testing site as well as many makeshift classrooms that allowed for social distancing. That is all going to change in the summer of 2023 when all of the programs get moved and a new construction site is started.
Hagestad Hall, currently named after Herman T. “Bill” Hagestad is home to multiple student services and active classrooms. Programs like career services, student health, counseling services, and textbook services will be relocating in the upcoming years.
“Hagestad Hall will be demolished in Summer of 2023, and then construction of Sci-Tech will follow immediately and Sci-Tech construction will be from 2023 to 2025,” said Alan Symicek, the executive director of Facilities Management.
Moving to the new Science Technology and Innovation Center are four major departments: physics, chemistry, psychology, and biology. The physics, chemistry, and psychology departments will all be moving from the Centennial Science Hall. The biology department will be moving from the fourth floor of the Agriculture Science building.
Most of the student services have already been moved out of Hagestad Hall and relocated. There are only a few things left in the building like textbook services, the companion animal program, the surplus property program, and another large active classroom. The plan for textbook services is that students will be able to return their books to the library at the end of this semester when the new space is done being renovated. The plans for the companion animal and surplus property programs are still up in the air.
The facilities management team is still looking at options and have around a year and a half left to figure it out. As for the large active learning classroom, they are working with the Registrar and the College of Arts and Sciences to move that out of the space which might have to be split into a couple of sections to make that happen.
The budget for the new building is around 116 million dollars. The state is contributing 111 million dollars and the University of Wisconsin River Falls needs to raise five million dollars in gift funds. University Advancement is already working on a fundraising campaign.
The grand opening is supposed to take place in January of 2026, but things could change. More information and updates to come.