UW-La Crosse gets $194 million in funding for science center after seven years of delays

After seven years of roadblocks in Madison, long-awaited state funding has been approved for the second half of a new science center at UW-La Crosse.

The university announced that the new Wisconsin budget signed by Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday includes $194 million in funding needed for the second building of the Prairie Springs Science Center.

The first building opened in 2018, but former Gov. Scott Walker split the project in half and Republicans who control the legislature hadn’t approved the second phase until now.

The initial cost in 2018 for the second building was around $90 million.

The Cowley Hall science building, which opened in the 1960s, is set to be demolished as part of the Prairie Springs development.

In reaction to the funding being included in the state budget, UW-L Chancellor Dr. James Beeby said “we are thrilled” about the project moving forward, noting that “it took considerable time and effort to reach the finish line.”

Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska), who serves on the state building commission, said the budget was “far from perfect,” but called the plan “considerably better” for the state than previous budget plans, or no budget at all.

Construction of the new building is scheduled to start next spring, with the center to be finished late in 2028.