Building Project
The new W. R. Davies Student Center will transform campus life at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. It will replace the current Davies Center, which opened in 1959.
Like its predecessor, the new student center will be named in memory of William R. Davies (1893–1959), the university's second president.
The $48.8 million project is funded through segregated fees, which are paid by students.
No tax dollars are involved in the development, construction or operation of the building.
In keeping with UW-Eau Claire’s strategic goals of stewardship and sustainability, the new student center will incorporate eco-friendly elements including a green roof and sustainability standards designed to consume 30 percent less energy than current codes require.
Upon completion of the new Davies Center, the current Davies Center will be deconstructed and the site will be redeveloped as green space. On the north the new student center is bordered by the Little Niagara Creek, which will be incorporated into the landscape of the Central Campus Mall. Immediately south is the 230-acre Putnam Park, acquired by the university in 1957 under the Davies administration. The building occupies a site that was once the historic meeting grounds of the Sioux and Ojibwa.
The approximately 170,000-square-foot student center is designed by the Philadelphia-based architectural firm Burt, Hill and the Wisconsin-based firm Bray Architects. Inspired by nature surrounding the Eau Claire campus — the Chippewa River, the woods, the stone formations, the Little Niagara Creek — the canoe shaped building points towards the river.
Construction of the new Davies Center began March 7, 2011, and will be completed in summer 2012. Kraemer Brothers, LLC, of Plain, Wisconsin, is the single prime contractor for the project.
Saturday, May 19, is the last day dining service will be offered in the current Davies Center. The building will be closed to the public beginning May 26, 2012, as we begin to relocate in the new Davies Center. Some services will continue in temporary locations. We plan to re-open in our new facility in July.
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