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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today announced $2.38 billion in recommended Capital Budget investments in his 2021-23 Capital Budget. The announcement represents one of the strongest investments to-date for Wisconsin’s facility infrastructure and continues to leverage historic low bond rates. Gov. Evers’ capital budget supports major projects across the state in 31 counties.
“The capital budget is an investment in the up-keep of our infrastructure for longevity and public safety and in the future we want to build for our state,” said Gov. Evers. “It's about our priorities—from investing in sustainable energy options and protecting our public lands, to supporting the growth of our UW campuses and students, to reforming our juvenile justice system, to investing in community development, this capital budget will have a far-reaching impact on our communities and our state for generations to come.”
The 2021-2023 Capital Budget agency requests and governor’s recommendations can be found here: DOA Capital Budget (wi.gov).
The recommended investments will also help grow the economy by providing family-supporting jobs and supporting businesses throughout the state. A recent study conducted by Association of General Contractors reported that for every $1 in construction spending there is $1.81 of economic activity in Wisconsin; and for every $1 million of construction spend, 12 jobs are supported in the state’s economy. That means, the governor’s proposed capital budget supports an estimated $4.3 billion in economic activity and approximately 29,000 jobs throughout Wisconsin.
Gov. Evers’ Capital Budget builds upon the Administration’s on-going efforts to aggressively and responsibly address deferred maintenance and life safety issues in state-owned buildings, as well as maximizing and modernizing state and higher education facilities while also supporting sustainable designs.
Highlights of Gov. Evers’ Capital Budget Recommendations include:
- Investing in Wisconsin’s higher education students through significant statewide investments in UW-System facilities;
- Support Juvenile Justice Reform through investments in correctional and health services facilities;
- Protecting our natural resources through investments in state parks and forests, and upgrades to Fire Response Ranger Stations;
- Honoring and caring for our veterans by funding upgrades to the Veterans Homes and improvements to Veteran Cemeteries;
- Reinvigorating the energy conservation investment in state facilities through substantial investments to address a growing backlog of state agency needs and emphasizing the installation of renewable energy capabilities;
- Maximize use of state property in Madison by providing planning funds to redevelop Block 108 (currently GEF 1) for a potential co-located Museum and replacement of a downtown Madison state office building;
- Consolidate state agency functions into a new Milwaukee state office building, which will also be a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization and economic growth along one of the Milwaukee’s key commercial corridors;
- Providing ample funding for all state agencies including the UW-System for small to mid-sized capital maintenance and repair projects in the All-Agency Program; and
- Supporting local community projects with a statewide public purpose such as the Kenosha STEM Innovation Center, Milwaukee Museum of Nature and Culture, and Beyond Vision VisABILITY Center.
The State Building Commission will meet March 17, 2021, to vote on the governor’s Capital Budget recommendations. Then, the Building Commission’s Capital Budget recommendations are statutorily required to be submitted to the Joint Committee on Finance by the first Tuesday in April.
The Building Commission is chaired by Gov. Evers and made up of the following members:
- Senator Janis Ringhand,
- Senator Jerry Petrowski,
- Senator Andre Jacque,
- Representative Jill Billings,
- Representative Rob Swearingen,
- Representative Robert Wittke, and
- Citizen member Summer Strand.
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