On April 17, 2025, UW–Madison broke ground on the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center, an exciting step toward expanding student opportunities and strengthening Wisconsin’s much-needed engineering workforce. However, this milestone was not achieved through building plans and funding alone. It resulted from years of persistent advocacy, strategic collaboration, and a shared belief in the project’s potential.
Expanding the College of Engineering had been a top institutional priority for years. The need was clear: UW–Madison could only admit about 20 percent of applicants to its engineering program, leaving thousands of qualified students behind each year. Outdated facilities further stifled growth and innovation. Despite broad support, the project was delayed repeatedly by political gridlock in the state legislature.
In June 2023, the Joint Finance Committee’s decision to withhold approval for the new engineering building in the capital budget was a significant setback. The decision was met with widespread disappointment, particularly because millions of dollars in private funding had already been secured, with much of it contingent on the project being included in the 2023–25 biennial budget.
Still, momentum continued to build. Students, alumni, business leaders, and university officials rallied to support the project. In November 2023, pressure mounted when leaders from top Wisconsin employers, including Johnson Controls, Kohler, and Epic, penned a joint letter. They urged the legislature to consider that the new engineering building would not only benefit students but was crucial for Wisconsin’s economic future. Their support was echoed by alumni who testified at hearings across the state, demonstrating the widespread and collective backing for the project.
After rounds of negotiations, the UW System Board of Regents approved a compromise agreement, securing funding for the new engineering building, employee pay raises, and residence hall repairs. The total expected cost of the engineering center is $419.8 million, with $226.4 million coming from the state of Wisconsin, $43.4 million from the university, and $150 million from the College of Engineering — an amount the college is still actively fundraising to fulfill.
In March 2024, Governor Tony Evers ’73, MS’76, PhD’86 approved funding for the project. The final push came in September of that same year, when brothers Marvin ’68, JD’71 and Jeffrey ’72 Levy announced a transformative $75 million lead gift. The historic donation — the largest single gift in the College of Engineering’s history — ensured that the building, named in memory of their late brother Phil Levy ’64, could move forward without further delay. The Wisconsin State Building Commission gave its final approval in January 2025, and just three months later, shovels hit the ground.
The eight-story, 395,000-square-foot Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center will serve as a cutting-edge hub for innovation, research, and education in engineering. Construction is expected to continue through 2029, and upon completion, it will help UW–Madison meet the growing demand for skilled engineers and drive economic and technological progress in Wisconsin.
For the latest updates on construction, visit https://engineering.wisc.edu/new-building/.
Photo by Bryce Richter, UW–Madison.
