After two years of construction, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences will open the doors to its new 92,600-square-foot building this month.
The $53 million facility is located along Milwaukee’s inner harbor at 600 E. Greenfield Ave., adjacent to the research building that formerly housed the Great Lakes Water Institute.
The new building, comprised of three stories plus a fourth for utilities, will include about 55,000 square feet for labs dedicated to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, according to school officials. The addition will also house the Center for Water Policy, Great Lakes Genomics Center, classrooms, administration space for the school and its aquaculture programs, meeting space, and faculty and student offices.
The older complex will continue to be used, with designated space for research labs, the school’s boat operations, a dockside classroom, and aquaculture research and training. The building will also contain the Southern Lake Michigan Fisheries Division of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, workspace for aquaculture researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the offices of the Southeast Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, school officials said.
The School of Freshwater Sciences plans to unveil its new building at a Sept. 12 grand opening celebration, “Freshwater Odyssey.” The event, scheduled to start at 5 p.m., will celebrate the state-of-the-art facility with entertainment, drinks and appetizers. Attendees are encouraged to dress in shades of fresh water. Cost is $50.
On Saturday, Sept. 13, the School of Freshwater Sciences will host a free community event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with tours, science demonstrations, entertainment and food vendors.
For more information or to reserve a spot at the grand opening event on Sept. 12, visit uwm.edu/freshwater/odyssey.
