Renovation projects continue at WCTC’s Pewaukee, Waukesha campuses

welcome center stairs 2

PEWAUKEE, Wis. (Thursday, May 28, 2020) – While the Waukesha County Technical College campuses have been closed to students, employees and guests since mid-March, select essential workers – those in the construction industry – have been allowed to work on campus to complete numerous pre-scheduled, district board-approved projects.

“Facilities staff and construction crews have continued to work during the safer-at-home timeframe to maintain campuses and create industry-equivalent educational spaces for our students and faculty,” said Jeff Leverenz, WCTC’s chief officer of district facilities and facilities services.

Three larger-scale projects have been in the works during the last few months. They include:

• An upgrade to the College Center’s atrium space to include a new welcome center (main campus). This revamped space will be a central location and first stop for guests and families when they visit WCTC. It will be key during pre-enrollment activities, such as open houses, and it features meeting rooms and dedicated classroom space. The project is scheduled for completion in mid-July.
• The renovation of the gymnasium to the Anthony J. Natalizio Center, which was completed in mid-May (main campus) – with the exception of a few electronic components and folding partitions that will be delivered next month. The former gym has been transformed into a multi-use educational facility to hold events for groups of 50 to 600 as well as graduation ceremonies and staff in-service events.
• A remodel of Building W on the Pewaukee campus and at the Waukesha campus. The Workforce Development Center, now housed in Building W, will move to the renovated space at the Waukesha campus, and space in Building W will be remodeled for additional law enforcement training opportunities, such as in-service and specialized training. The Waukesha portion of this project will be completed in mid-June, and the Building W project will begin in August with completion slated for December.

Additionally, construction crews have been busy working on smaller-scale projects throughout the main Pewaukee campus. These include:

• Building B -- renovation of the marketing lab and adjacent classroom
• Building G -- renovation to increase the number of instructor workstations, and the renovation of a breakroom into a 24-seat, multipurpose classroom and computer lab
• Building L -- a computer lab update
• Building Q -- a mother’s room
• Concrete and asphalt repairs on campus roadways and parking lots
• Updates to the emergency vehicle operations course (EVOC)

“In completing some projects, such as asphalt road repairs, concrete sidewalk replacement and those that require utility shut-downs, the process was quicker and easier without the logistical challenges of student and staff, and traffic control and safety as a primary concern,” Leverenz said. “However, there have been other construction challenges during this timeframe, such as material and equipment manufacturing and deliveries which were delayed because of factory shut-downs, reduced production and related issues.”