New Building Will Greet Visitors to UWEC by 2020

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Image: UW-Eau Claire
Image: UW-Eau Claire

UW-Eau Claire recently announced plans to roll out a brand-new red carpet (figuratively, at least) for campus visitors by building a University Welcome Center, which is slated to open in 2020. The proposed $5.5 million building would be funded with private dollars and would be built on a site along Roosevelt Avenue just south of Schneider Hall, where the current visitor kiosk stands and where three homes were recently torn down. Kimera Way, president of the UWEC Foundation, said a lead gift for the project has been received and all funds will be raised prior to the start of construction next year. The Campus Welcome Center will fill the role of a new “university front door” that was envisioned in the 2010-30 Campus Master Plan. “It’s our goal to make the best possible first impression when prospective students and their families arrive on campus,” said Heather Kretz, UWEC’s director of admissions. “The University Welcome Center will help us provide the friendliest possible visit experience for future students, with an inviting facility in which to introduce them to all UW-Eau Claire has to offer.” Ayres Associates of Eau Claire has been selected as the architectural and engineering firm for the project.