Construction complete on UW-L’s $55 million student union

Construction began on the 200,000-square-foot building in Oct. 2014.

The ribbon cutting took place Tuesday on the new student union building at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Construction began on the $55 million building in October of 2014. It’s over 200,000-square feet, featuring a rec area, cafeteria, bookstore and offices for several student organizations.

Several years ago, a referendum was sent out to UW-L students asking whether a new student union was needed. The votes came back 88 percent in favor, even though those students would likely never see the building while attending college.

The union replaces the Cartwright Center, which was built in the 1950s.