The University of Wisconsin-Madison plans to start renovating three of its residence halls this fall, pending approval from the state.
The Capital Times reports that the $79.2 million project would add air conditioning among other improvements, according to Deej Lundgren, the university system’s associate vice president for capital planning and budget.
UW-Madison would temporarily lose about 40 beds at any given time during construction and permanently lose 18 total beds as a result of the renovations at the Kronshage, Jorns and Humphrey residence halls.
UW-Madison’s residence halls are overcrowded. Residence halls were at 116% capacity this school year. The halls are designed to house about 7,750 students, so the university has met student demand primarily by turning larger double rooms into triples and by converting study dens into resident rooms.
UW-Madison limited the size of its incoming class and total enrollment this school year, partly because of its housing crunch.
The Board of Regents has voted to begin construction at UW-Madison this fall. The project now needs approval from the State Building Commission before contractor bidding can begin.
The renovated buildings are expected to reopen by fall 2029. The upgrades ars designed to preserve the building's historical character while making essential improvements.
The project calls for installing elevators in each building, upgrading restrooms and resident rooms, and adding new laundry rooms, kitchenettes and outdoor patios. Fire alarm and suppression systems would be updated and windows and roofing would be replaced.
First-year students aren’t required to live on campus, but about 93% have chosen to live in UW-Madison’s residence halls in recent years. Space for returning residents is limited,
A 2024 study of student housing in Madison found many university students struggled to afford rents, and demand for off-campus housing was affected by limited space in residence halls.
