The UW-Eau Claire campus has been undergoing various construction projects, and it has become a common sight for students. Whether it be construction or demolition, there is always activity from the nearby building crews.
Within the last decade, several major projects have occurred around campus, including the renovation of both Karlgaard Towers, the demolition of Putnam Hall and Katharine Thomas Hall, the commencement of construction for the new Sciences and Health Sciences Building and the demolition of Zorn Arena and its surrounding buildings.
Construction continues on the Sciences and Health Sciences Building with its completion slated for the fall of 2027, according to the university website. This building is designed to replace the aging Phillips Hall and consolidate all related science majors into a single location.
According to the campus master plan, Phillips Hall has 115,000 square feet of space, but the physical science majors require at least 158,000 square feet of learning spaces to accomplish their goals.
The new Science and Health Sciences Building is set to be 330,000 square feet in total with Mayo Clinic having 10,000 square feet of this space for collaboration with students in medical research. Mayo Clinic and UW-Eau Claire have a 10-year research agreement that began in 2023.
Unlike the recent trend on campus to continue building up, this summer saw the tearing down of the building complex that included Zorn Arena, Brewer Hall and Kjer Theater. The entire demolition took place while students were away on summer break.
Soon after demolition was completed, the area was seeded to grow grass and other vegetation. According to the campus master plan, the current agenda is to utilize the area as green space with sidewalks connecting Centennial and Hibbard Humanities Halls.
Kristen O’Brien, fourth-year ecology and environmental biology student, is the student director of the Student Office of Sustainability (SOS) at UW-Eau Claire. O’Brien said the goal of SOS is to promote sustainability and a clean future through the university and its projects, including the newfound space where Zorn once stood.
“Our hope is to make it a space that is flush with nature so students can enjoy time in a green area while also benefiting pollinators, wildlife and carbon sequestration,” O’Brien said.
Because SOS is a branch of student senate, they work closely with each other and often collaborate on big projects like this one to ensure that the university approaches them in a sustainable way, according to O’Brien.
Second-year business marketing student Levi Falkenberg is enthusiastic about the upcoming human applications for the area formerly occupied by Zorn, Brewer and Kjer.
“‘I’m excited for another area to hang out on campus,” Falkenberg said. “I never utilized the Zorn area before, so I’m excited to be able to finally use it.”
Outside of the campus’s goals toward sustainability as it builds and expands the campus, O’Brien also said that it is important for everyone to do their part in striving for a sustainable world.
“Starting conversations and considering sustainability in your daily tasks makes a big difference,” O’Brien said. “Only once sustainability is seen as a normal and vital part of our daily routines will lasting change take place on a local and global scale.”
Degear can be reached at [email protected].
