The University of Wisconsin–Madison has officially broken ground on a long-awaited engineering academic facility that faced years of political delay. The Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center, a $419.8 million project, is set to transform the university’s engineering campus and expand its capacity to train future engineers.

Located on a 2.5-acre site in the heart of the engineering campus, the 395,000-square-foot facility will be the third new engineering academic building UW–Madison has constructed in the past 60 years. It comes at a time when the university is turning away large numbers of qualified students due to space constraints.

Currently, UW–Madison has room to educate only about one in ten engineering applicants, making the expansion essential for meeting student demand and supporting Wisconsin’s growing tech and manufacturing sectors.

Political Battle Over Funding

The road to groundbreaking was not easy. The new center became a flashpoint in a two-year-long funding dispute between the university and Wisconsin Republicans. State lawmakers held back funding until the university agreed to curtail diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming — a move that sparked intense debate across the state.

“While getting this project done wasn’t without its challenges, we’re thrilled to be breaking ground on an engineering building that’s going to help graduate thousands of new engineers and have a tremendous impact on the students and faculty that teach and learn here, as well as on our state, our workforce and our future,” said Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers in the April 17 release.

Evers gave final approval for the project on March 6, after negotiations concluded. The state will contribute $226.4 million toward the total project cost.

Sustainable Design and Expanded Capacity

The project isn’t just about adding more space — it also brings cutting-edge design and sustainability features to campus. The facility will incorporate mass timber construction in its learning wing, a green roof to manage stormwater, and green spaces that promote gathering and environmental health.

The university says these features aim to reduce the heat island effect and support a more resilient, climate-conscious campus footprint.

Construction will take place over the existing Engineering Mall and the site currently occupied by the academic building at 1410 Engineering Drive, which will be demolished.

Project Team and Timeline

Madison-based Findorff will serve as the construction contractor. The architectural and engineering design is led by a joint team from Continuum Architects + Planners (Milwaukee), SmithGroup (Detroit), and Ring & DuChateau (Brookfield, WI).

Once completed, the new center will enable the university to educate approximately 1,000 additional undergraduate students, significantly expanding its impact on the state’s economy and workforce development efforts.

The building will also provide modern classrooms, labs, collaboration areas, and indoor/outdoor gathering spaces, creating a learning environment aligned with today’s academic and industry standards.

As construction gets underway, UW–Madison sees the new center not just as a building, but as a critical investment in the future of the state.

Originally reported by Matthew Thibault in Construction Dive.