To expand UW-Madison’s Exhibition Hall, Gov. Tony Evers announced a $30 million investment into the Alliant Energy Center as part of the 2019-’21 Capital Budget Wednesday.
The state investment, along with private and local funds, will reach an estimated total cost of $77.4 million.
The project aims to expand the current Exhibition Hall’s size by 196,000 square feet to better accommodate a wider variety of guests and events.
“We’re making this investment because many of the venue users have outgrown the facility and many prospective users are opting out for other venues that have adequate space and amenities outside the state of Wisconsin,” Evers said. “We have to stop that trend.”
Evers and community leaders lauded the plan’s projected impact on both the state and local community.
The project is estimated to generate a net 644 new jobs, according to Evers.
“I’m most excited by the hundreds of new jobs and the tens of thousands of new visitors who will visit the South Side [of Madison],” Urban League of Greater Madison President Ruben Anthony said.
The investment will likely generate $670,000 in annual state income taxes and $1 million in annual state sales tax, according to Dane County Board Chair Sharon Corrigan.
Leaders emphasized the role the center has played in bringing members of the agriculture community across the state.
“Expanding the ability of these grounds to host national and even international events is exactly what Wisconsin's farm economy needs right now to preserve jobs and our agricultural heritage," Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said.
Funds for the plan’s predesign have already been allocated for the current year, according to Corrigan.
