August 9, 2018 – Collaboration and creativity are driving the plans for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Community Engagement Center and a new hotel on the city’s west side.

The site, located at 1260 W. Main St., is undergoing a major redesign that will include the construction of a privately owned and operated 71-room, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott hotel on the south side of the property. The existing 52,000-square-foot building to the north, which previously housed the former Sentry grocery store, is being leased to the university and will be transformed into a state-of-the-art UW-Whitewater Community Engagement Center — a hub for faculty, staff, students and community members to engage in community-based learning, projects and research.

“For 150 years, UW-Whitewater has been dedicated to serving our communities and we are proud to be a partner in bringing a hotel and the Community Engagement Center to the region,” said Chancellor Beverly Kopper. “I want to express my appreciation to the UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc., which previously owned the property and saw the potential for this space to serve both the educational and hospitality needs of the community.

This project is an example of the outstanding cooperation between UW-Whitewater, the Foundation, the City of Whitewater, the developer — United Development Solutions — and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, which helped make the project a financial reality.”

The mission of the Community Engagement Center is in keeping with the Wisconsin Idea — that the people and resources of the university stretch beyond the boundaries of campus to positively impact lives across the state.

Read more about this groundbreaking development on the university website HERE!