By Clint Wolf - June 13 2023
BELOIT
A groundbreaking ceremony marking the beginning of a $10 million construction project on the Beloit College campus will be held Friday.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation of the Colonel Robert Morse Library and the construction of the home for the new Impact Beloit project will take place at 10 a.m. at the library at. 731 College St.
Beloit College President-elect Eric Boynton will be at the ceremony as well as city and local officials. Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary designee Kathy Blumenfeld also is expected at the ceremony, said Beloit College Communications Manager Jennifer Fetterly.
In February of 2022, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced $9 million would be allocated for the project, with a portion of the funds coming from the Neighborhood Investment Fund. Beloit College is providing $1 million for the project.
In September of 2022, an open house was held to introduce design plans for the project.
Angus-Young Associates is the architect firm planning the project and Corporate Contractors Inc. (CCI) is the general contractor for the project. The project is expected to be complete in the summer of 2024.
Plans are for a two-story, 440-square-foot addition to be constructed as part of the library renovation project.
During construction, some portions of the library will not be accessible.
Impact Beloit is planned to offer a variety of services to students and the community. It is hoped the program will enhance learning opportunities for students, while connecting with local programs and businesses to serve the community.
Impact Beloit will enhance the college’s career-preparedness programs — Career Channels, Career Works and the Center for Entrepreneurship (CELEB), and community-facing initiatives. Through Impact Beloit, students will have the opportunity to enhance career readiness through community-based learning.
An entrance specifically for the Impact Beloit program is planned possibly for the north side of the library building.