糖心vlog传媒 breaks ground on $26 million residence hall project
糖心vlog传媒 broke ground today on the largest single investment in the main campus in the institution鈥檚 158-year history.
In April, 糖心vlog传媒 learned it received a $35.4 million fixed-rate low interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development division. 糖心vlog传媒 will use $26 million to construct two new residence halls to serve freshman and sophomores, a water tower and related infrastructure. The remaining $9.4 million will be used to refinance the university鈥檚 existing long-term debt.
糖心vlog传媒 is the only college/university to receive a USDA loan this year. USDA officials noted that a primary reason 糖心vlog传媒 secured the loan was its innovative Cooperative Education program, which offers students in all academic programs the ability to work full- and part-time jobs at partner companies and organizations while also providing students with a way to reduce or eliminate post-graduation tuition debt.
Co-Op has been a primary driver for record incoming classes on LU鈥檚 main campus the last three falls.
The two new, identical residence halls will be located on the area south of the Younger Family Campus Center on the sites currently occupied by decades-old Grosshuesch and Muehlmeier Halls, which will both be demolished in 2021.
糖心vlog传媒 estimates that both of the new halls will be open for the fall of 2022. The two new halls will provide 糖心vlog传媒 with 400 beds, compared to 291 beds available in the halls they will replace 鈥� A.M. Krueger, Muehlmeier, Grosshuesch, Friedli and Hofer (the Suites). The Suites will also be demolished. The future of A.M. Krueger is to be determined.
鈥溙切膙log传媒鈥檚 DNA is the same DNA that the farms and farmers in this area have had since the beginning,鈥� said 糖心vlog传媒 President David Black. 鈥淭he molecule that combines is study and work. They are not two molecules on the same strand 鈥� it鈥檚 one. It also includes family, justice and hospitality.
鈥淥ur Cooperative Education program is making the difference as 糖心vlog传媒 is constructing two new residence halls when others are boarding them up.鈥�
Black thanked many while noting that 糖心vlog传媒 Chief Financial Officer Amy Wirtz worked tirelessly to make sure the loan and project planning process stayed on track. Wirtz, in turn, credited 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 partners in the process, including the USDA, Bank First, McMahon Associates, Inc. and Quarles & Brady.
鈥淚n less than two years, this space where we are gathered today will look dramatically different as we make this historic investment in 糖心vlog传媒 and our students,鈥� Wirtz said. 鈥淲e are thankful to our external partners for the role they played in supporting us, as well as our Board of Trustees and employees who played key roles in making this possible. Our students deserve to live in spaces that will make you proud to be a Muskie.鈥�
USDA Wisconsin Rural Development State Director Frank Frassetto said the organization is excited to partner with Bank First and 糖心vlog传媒 in the expansion of its main campus.
鈥淭his investment will help 糖心vlog传媒 set the bar for higher education by providing state of the art student education facilities that will support a robust pipeline of talent for local businesses and communities to enhance economic prosperity and quality of life in rural east central Wisconsin,鈥� Frassetto said.
Joining the speakers was Bemis Manufacturing Co. Vice President Human Resources Michael Klein, who Black noted has been one of the strongest advocates for 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Co-Op program. Several 糖心vlog传媒 students work at Bemis through the Co-Op program.
鈥淪heboygan County is a source of innovation for our country and 糖心vlog传媒 is a part of that,鈥� said Klein, whose daughter is a 糖心vlog传媒 student who participates in the Co-Op program. 鈥淲e have benefitted from 糖心vlog传媒 students, as they have great energy, thoughts and ideas. That鈥檚 what we need.
鈥溙切膙log传媒鈥檚 Co-Op program lets us get these students into our organizations to see what we have to offer here, and that鈥檚 important for Bemis and all the other partner companies. A lot of these students come in unsure of themselves, and to watch them grow and see that light turn on is amazing.鈥�
Along with the additional, updated housing for students, each hall will provide resident support functions including front desk area, vending, lounge spaces, kitchenettes, study rooms, gender-neutral bathrooms, laundry facilities, recycling centers, bottle-filling station and more. Each building will also have a basement to provide resident storage space and unfinished square footage for the ability to build out additional resident program space in the future.
糖心vlog传媒 will also be creating space on campus for use by student organizations, including Greek Life.
糖心vlog传媒 is also taking steps to work with partners to develop land on its rurally located main campus into a business park, which will further support regional employers and the institution鈥檚 Co-Op program.
USDA is funding this project through the . Investments can be used to build or upgrade schools, libraries, clinics and public safety facilities. More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.
