Groundbreaking for Winther, Heide halls set for Dec. 4

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will officially break ground on the renovation of Winther and Heide halls in early December as part of the regular meeting of the Board of Regents that the campus is hosting.

All are welcome to attend the groundbreaking, which will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4, outside the north entrance of Winther Hall, with a reception to immediately follow inside of the building. Free parking is available in Lot 14, adjacent to the building; in the event of poor weather the ground breaking will be moved inside.

The event marks the official beginning of the renovations of the two 1960s-era buildings. The bulk of the funding will go toward a complete renovation of Winther Hall, home to the College of Education and Professional Studies. Construction is slated to begin in April 2026, with classes expected to resume in the building in spring 2029.

Funds for the project — a final budget just over $89 million — were approved as part of a capital budget bill by the state legislature on Feb. 22, 2024, and signed into law by Governor Tony Evers on March 6 of that year.

The renovated Winther Hall will include student study areas, open labs and lecture halls that contain updated technology to support modern teaching methods, as depicted in the renderings of the planned renovation. Graduates from programs using this space address a crucial workforce need in the state and the region, as UW-Whitewater licenses the most teachers in Wisconsin through its teacher education programs.

Classes will continue to be held during the renovation of nearby Heide Hall, which will receive roof and window replacements and new elevators as part of the project. Green Bay-based Somerville Architects + Engineers is the architect for both projects.