A $33.5 million planned renovation of three Sandburg Hall residence towers on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus was approved this week by the State Building Commission.
The renovation would encompass three original towers within the Sandburg Residence Hall complex, located at 3400 N. Maryland Ave.
The project would upgrade infrastructure, life-safety systems, elevators and provide ADA accessibility; demolish and replace the bathrooms in all suites; configure several suites and bedrooms; update shared spaces and replace all nine elevators among the three towers.
The Sandburg complex includes four resident towers, a residence commons and parking structure. It houses about 2,800 students.
The three towers slated for renovation — the 20-floor south, 16-floor west and 19-floor east tower — were completed in 1970 and include suite-style units. The university opened the 28-foot north tower in 2001.
According to state building commission documents, the water and sewer piping infrastructure, primarily in the north and south towers, has required extensive maintenance and emergency repairs since 2010, and has resulted in leaks in other parts of the building. About three-fourths of the building infrastructure is more than 45 years old, the report said. The elevators have also become unreliable and are difficult to maintain because of their age, according to the report.
The project was included in former Gov. Scott Walker’s 2017 capital budget.
According to the project documents, construction would begin in August, with completion expected in 2022.
