White Hall, a building constructed in 1963 that once served as a residence hall, is set for demolition. After its time as a dormitory, the building was used for academic offices and student support services, but without any remodeling. The building is no longer in use.
Designed with double occupancy rooms and double-loaded corridors, the structure reportedly had virtually no ventilation other than its operable windows.
The demolition will begin in May 2026, with substantial completion scheduled for September 2026. The main reason for the demolition is that White Hall has been out of use for a long time. While it was not originally built in violation of codes, it failed to meet modern standards as it aged.
According to Chad Ahrens, interim director of facilities planning and management, “the state of Wisconsin owns our buildings and determines what we can and cannot do with them. Because the building did not meet building codes and the Division of Facilities Development would not allow us to renovate, the building sat vacant and continued to deteriorate. The only option was to demolish.”
Requests to renovate the facility to bring it up to code for continued use were previously denied. According to Ahrens, the discussion around the demolition has been on the agenda for the past one to two years. The financial conditions have finally been met, and the project is now ready to proceed.
After it stopped being used as a dormitory, White Hall was used as a storage room. Ahrens said that items stored there belonged to various departments across campus and that all were notified to remove their belongings.
As a result, most of the items have already been cleared. Needed items were collected by their respective departments, while others that were no longer wanted were discarded.
Some people reported seeing individuals entering and exiting White Hall over the summer, to which Chad responded that it was likely staff moving items out of the building.
The estimated cost of the demolition is approximately $1,844,580. This includes $1,418,830 for construction, a $44,000 design fee, and a $381,750 contingency fee.
These costs will be funded through general fund-supported borrowing. The demolition cost also covers project planning, design, demolition of the building and its foundation, abandonment of building services and site restoration.
Ahrens noted that while summer is the busiest time for construction, they will keep noise in mind to minimize disruption for students taking summer classes.
Following the demolition, the site will become an empty space. The demolition of the building will make way for prime green space for future use.
While not yet finalized, Chad stated that there are plans to construct an academic or student services building. He added that the plan is in its very early stages, and specific details have not yet been decided.
The new building will not be built on the White Hall site, but the demolition of one building will lead to the construction of another.