Carroll University will build a state-of-the-art science center in Waukesha for occupancy in fall 2016.
The four-story building will be about 50,000 square feet and will cost about $22 million to $24 million.
The building will be located on the northeast corner of College Avenue and Barstow Street. Maxon Hall, which now occupies that site and houses classrooms, faculty offices and the environmental science program, will be demolished to make way for the new building, which will extend closer to College Avenue to the south and to Carroll’s Rankin Hall to the east.
“I’m honored to carry on the work of two of my predecessors, Dr. William G. Laatsch and Marna Tess-Mattner,” said James DeJong, a 1973 Carroll graduate and current chair of the Carroll board of trustees. “The hard work, dedication and diligence of Bill, Marna and all past and present members of Carroll’s board has laid a firm foundation for the largest single investment in the 168-year history of Carroll.”
Laatsch, a 1960 Carroll graduate, was chair of the university’s Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2010; Tess-Mattner, a 1975 Carroll graduate, was chair from 2010-2013. Both have been key players in plans for the new building.
The new science building, which will blend modern technology with Carroll’s historic architecture, will house laboratories for biology, chemistry and biochemistry, some faculty offices, and gathering spaces for students.
“Carroll has become a destination for many bright, talented, science-minded students. This building will certainly become a tipping factor as students choose where to spend their college careers,” said Douglas Hastad, Carroll president. “Carroll is also geographically situated in an area that’s home to sophisticated health care systems that benefit from well-educated Carroll students.”
About two-thirds of Carroll students major in one of the sciences. Biology, nursing, physical therapy and exercise science are among the most popular academic disciplines chosen by Carroll students.
“We have known for quite some time that we need new laboratory facilities,” Hastad said. “The project has been a priority for several years. The time has come to get it done.”
Ron Lostetter, vice president of finance and administrative services at Carroll, will oversee the project, from hiring an architect through construction.
