State building commission approves $185 million in projects

The State Building Commission approved around $185 million in construction projects across the state, including a project that will continue the governor’s plan to reform buildings operated by the state correction department.

The commission, chaired by Gov. Tony Evers, approved a second Type 1 juvenile correctional facility in Fitchburg, the governor’s office said in a news release. The facility will help transition youth inmates out of the Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake Schools for Girls as the state looks to turn both facilities into adult detention centers.

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections asked for authority to spend $130 million for construction of a Type 1 juvenile facility in Fitchburg, which was enumerated in the state’s 2025-27 budget, a commission agenda showed. The facility will have space for 32 boys and eight girls, similar to a juvenile facility underway in Milwaukee that will be completed in late 2026.

It’s part of an effort to plan new correctional facilities and close old ones in places such as Waupun and Green Bay, some of them dating back before the state of Wisconsin was established. In October, the commission approved $15 million to start planning changes at six DOC facilities, including closing the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake facilities in Irma.

Officials said they expect construction of the Type 1 facility in Dane County to be completed in late 2028 and the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake facilities will close in early 2029. Those buildings will be turned into a 500-bed, medium-security adult facility in coming years.

“Closing Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake schools and getting our kids closer to home and the support systems they rely on has been our prerogative since day one, and I’m thrilled to see our administration and members of this Commission take another important step in getting this done and done right,” Evers said in a statement. “In addition, today, members also improved various projects to support operations at our state agencies and university system, and I’m glad to see support for these projects move forward.”

In 2015, the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake facilities were investigated by federal officials over harsh conditions. At least seven inmates have died in the past two years while incarcerated at the Waupun Correctional Institution, local outlets reported.

Other projects approved were the drill hall for the Milwaukee Readiness Center for the Department of Military Affairs, which asked for more than $6.49 million to complete the fourth phase of the project. Additionally, the commission approved more than $7.39 million for roof and plaza deck waterproofing repairs at University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, part of a university system facilities maintenance program.