No injuries were reported after a concrete slab fell from the third floor of Van Hise Hall on the UW-Madison campus Sunday.
Built in 1965 and located at 1220 Linden Drive, Van Hise houses several academic departments and University of Wisconsin System offices. It is the second tallest building in Madison.
In an email to The Daily Cardinal, Lori Getter — a public safety communications specialist for the university — said that the slab fell from the third-floor deck of the building at approximately 1 p.m., but the cause is thus far unknown.
“We’re grateful no one was hurt and are working diligently to understand what caused this to occur and what action may be needed to keep everyone safe,” said Getter. “We will provide more information as it becomes available.”
The area where the slab fell is blocked with barricades, and there is signage directing students and staff to utilize other doors, said Getter.
“There was no construction work going on that would have caused this to occur,” said Getter, referencing the dumpster located at the Linden Street entrance for a restroom renovation that was set to begin this week.
As of Monday, Van Hise Hall is open but the Linden St. entrance is closed.
On Monday, the UW System tweeted in response to the collapse, describing the facade of the building as “aging and in disrepair.” However, Van Hise Hall is not on the “short list” of facilities in need of repairs and renovations, according to the System.
Earlier this year, Governor Evers recommended that approximately $1 billion of his Capital Budget be used for building projects within the UW System. One of the building projects in the proposal includes eventually demolishing the Mosse Humanities Building and creating a new College of Letters and Science building — a consolidation of eight current campus spaces — which would include the departments in Van Hise. This project is not expected to begin until September of 2025.
