STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAU) — The University of Wisconsin Stevens Point is one step closer to getting it’s new Science Building. The site plan was approved Monday night by the city’s Plan Commission.
The 75-million dollar structure will be built where the present Parking Lot X is, at the intersection of Stanley Street, and Fremont Street, across from St. Michael’s Hospital.
Commissioners and residents that spoke during the meeting all like the building plan, but are concerned about taking away on-campus parking. Ideally, fewer students would drive cars to campus, but Chancellor Bernie Patterson says that’s easier said than done. “It’s going to take, as someone said tonight, a change in our culture. It’s just not something that the university can enact. It’s going to take a change in behavior.”
One possible way UW Stevens Point might need less parking is if the proposed state budget passes as written. Patterson says that will likely mean fewer students attending the campus. “We don’t think that’s going to be a good outcome, but it would certainly cut down on the parking demand, but it means there’s less economic development in the community, and there’s fewer students here spending money, and contributing to the community, so there’s a downside to it as well.”
The new Science Building will provide modern laboratories for chemistry and biology classes. Patterson says even if they have fewer students, this building is badly needed. “We have somewhere between 700 and 1,000 biology majors. Even with the size of the current proposal in the new science building, only half of the Biology Department is going to fit in there. All of Chemistry, but only about half of Biology.”
Now that Stevens Point officials have made their final approval, Patterson says they must wait for one more approval in Madison. “We have to get one more approval from the Building Commission. We’re now at 35% of design stage, and with approval tonight, we’re ready to go now to the Building Commission for their final approval to expend the funds that have been set aside.”
City Community Development Director Michael Ostrowski says Stevens Point is just getting a parking study underway, but they know there are areas that need help. He says building the new structure on campus will change how and where students park. Ostrowski says the UW has also been trying to make improvements before construction starts. “There’s definitely a concern when you eliminate 342 parking stalls with Lot X, however, the university has done some mitigation in trying to reduce some of that with a new construction of Lot Y later this year, and some changes to Lot T.”
Ostrowski says the city might work with the university to construct some park-and-ride lots and some other options to take pressure off the campus lots. “We’re also looking at an area right by the airport, possibly constructing a park-and-ride lot right off of the Interstate there, that would allow them to park there and have the bus come into campus.”
For now, Lot X will still be used, since the State Building Commission hasn’t signed off on the new Science Building. That is the last step before the 75 million dollar structure can proceed.
A timeline for construction of the new Science Building and any additional parking lots have not been determined.
