Albertson Hall demolition set to begin at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Jamie Rokus, Stevens Point Journal
·2 min read

STEVENS POINT − Equipment is arriving this week for demolition of Albertson Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the next step in a years-long project to replace the more than 50-year-old university library due to structural and accessibility issues.

Exterior demolition will begin this month and will last until about mid-August, according to a news release from UW-Stevens Point. A live webcam of the building site along with information about the project and its timeline is available on the Albertson Building Central website at www.uwsp.edu/ABC.

The campus portion of Portage Street, between Phillips Street and Reserve Street, will be closed. University Parking Lot R will remain accessible from both Reserve and Phillips streets, according to the university.

Construction on the new learning resource center will begin in September and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025, according to the university.

The library closed its doors for the last time in May 2022. Students, staff and community members gathered in the lobby of Albertson Hall ahead of the closing to commemorate its last week open to the public by sharing historic photos, trivia and memories of the building. University staff then began relocating services and clearing out the building to prepare for the new library.

The project to replace Albertson Hall, which was built in 1970 and expanded in the mid-1980s, will cost $96 million. The new learning resource center will be about 174,000 square feet and three stories, about 33,000 square feet smaller than the current one. The plans also include refurbishing the university's landmark sundial − Specht Forum − into a park-like setting that still incorporates the sundial design.

A preliminary design of the new learning resource center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point that will replace Albertson Hall. Demolition on the current library will begin in June and is expected to be completed by mid-August. Construction on the new learning resource center will begin in September and continue until summer 2025.
A preliminary design of the new learning resource center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point that will replace Albertson Hall. Demolition on the current library will begin in June and is expected to be completed by mid-August. Construction on the new learning resource center will begin in September and continue until summer 2025.

Albertson Hall became a top priority for UW-Stevens Point and the UW System after architectural stability studies showed it was nearing structural instability and had water, heating and cooling systems that were near failing, including:

  • Load-bearing windows

  • A facade where bricks could begin falling off the multi-story building because of water infiltrating behind the exterior bricks

  • Electrical, HVAC and plumbing reaching degradation levels near failing

  • A fire suppression system prone to pipe corrosion and leaks that decrease its effectiveness to deliver air and water pressure.

The Wisconsin Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers approved the $96 million capital project to replace Albertson Hall in July 2021.

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Editor Jamie Rokus can be reach at jrokus@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @Jamie_Rokus.

This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Albertson Hall demolition begins