The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center, currently housed in two buildings dating to the 1970s–1980s, will be moving to a new home, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. Its labs, currently located at 6006 Schroeder Road, house the only national center in the country dedicated to wildlife disease detection, control, and prevention, investigating scourges such as avian flu, West Nile virus, chronic wasting disease, and others.
Architectural plans are underway for a $160 million, three-story prairie style-inspired building to house the center. It will have two floors of offices and labs and a third level of necessary mechanical services for a research facility. Construction is expected to begin late next year or in early 2025. A recent virtual meeting solicited public commentary on the building plans, which also include solar panels and an energy-efficient heating and cooling system.
The new building would sit closer to Schroeder Road, increasing visibility to passersby and making the adjoining prairie space more publicly accessible.
Roughly 100 people work on the 24-acre site. About 80 are federal employees, and the rest are contractors.
