By Audrey Korte
The Chippewa Herald
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wisc. — Gov. Tony Evers announced last week that the Wisconsin State Building Commission approved a total of $253 million in key projects across the state. One of those projects will be a game changer for Stanley Correctional Institution.
The commission’s approved projects include the construction of a new Health Services Unit at Stanley Correctional Institution that will provide much-needed health, psychological, dental, therapeutic, lab and ancillary services to better meet the needs of the population.
The report states that construction will cost nearly $12 million, and design costs will amount to $1.2 million. About $1.8 million is slated for contingency costs, and $1 million is set aside for equipment purchases for the new health facility.
Stanley Correctional Institution employs 370 people. Currently it has 1,524 PIOC — or persons in our care. The prison is moving away from words like inmate to person-first language, representatives said.
PIOCs at the institution have the following time left on their prison sentences:
* Less than one year: 1.7%
* One year: 11%
* Two years: 8%
* Three years: 6%
* Four years: 7%
* Five years or more: 4%
* Life: 8%
The new healthcare facility will create many new opportunities for PIOCs to get medical care.
Other highlights of the Wisconsin State Building Commission’s projects include:
* Construction of a water treatment plant on the Mendota Mental Health Institute campus as Phase 1 of their Water Utility Improvements project that will ensure the reliability of their water supply.
* Replacement of several campground toilet and shower buildings at Mirror Lake State Park and Yellowstone Lake State Park that will greatly improve ADA access, operations and the overall camping experiences of hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Building Trust Funds were also released to begin the planning of campground facilities at Lake Wissota State Park.
* Construction of a new Shared Operations Facility that will house Fisheries and Wildlife Management at Richard Bong State Park.
* Replacement of the Mercer Ranger Station with a new 15,000-square-foot facility that will include Fire Response.
* Construction of necessary mechanical system repairs at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King that are past their useful life.
* Releasing Building Trust Funds to begin the planning and design for several field operation/support facilities for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in Dodgeville, Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area and Collins Marsh Wildlife Area.
* Authorizing a design/build alternative delivery method for the construction of the Camp Randall Sports Center Replacement and a Construction Manager delivery method for the construction of the College of Engineering Replacement Building, both at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
* Construction of the Albertson Hall replacement facility that will take place on the same site at UW-Stevens Point, creating a new Learning Commons, Student Success Center, and Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning.
* Authorizing projects for UW-Madison, Parkside, Superior and Oshkosh as part of the Minor Facilities Renewal Program group enumerations.
* Authorizing 48 maintenance and repair projects for the departments of Administration, Corrections, Health Services, Military Affairs, Natural Resources, Transportation, State Fair Park and the UW-System, located at various locations in 14 counties across the state.
“From ensuring guests have the best experience at any of our amazing state parks to making important updates to serve students, veterans, and agency staff, each of these projects enables the state to meet the needs of residents and visitors alike,” said Evers.
“I’m thankful to members of the Commission for approving projects that serve in the best interest of Wisconsinites across our state, and I look forward to our continued work together investing in our state’s infrastructure,” Evers said.
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