On Feb. 23, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced a $9 million grant that will strengthen the deep connections between the college and the city by funding the renovation of the college’s Robert Morse Library while creating a community outreach and engagement center.
Credit: Todd Anderbyrne
BELOIT, WIS. (Feb. 23, 2021) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced today that Beloit College has been awarded a $9 million grant to renovate the college’s Robert Morse Library while creating a community outreach and engagement center. The center will serve the community while providing countless educational opportunities for Beloit College students to prepare them for fulfilling lives marked by high achievement, personal responsibility, and public contribution in a diverse society.
Evers announced the grant at a press conference with Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld and Beloit College President Scott Bierman.
In partnership with the City of Beloit, the new center will address the needs of a community severely affected by COVID-19 while further connecting Beloit College faculty, staff, and students to provide educational opportunities.
“COVID-19 has severely disrupted the City of Beloit,” Evers said. “If we want to see our state’s families, communities, and economy succeed for years to come, we need to make investments that spur community outreach and economic development. There’s no better place to make that investment than at Beloit College, which has such a long history of educating citizens of the world.”
“We truly believe this project will benefit all Beloit residents at a time of both great need and great opportunity,” said Beloit College President Scott Bierman. “One more time the State of Wisconsin, the City of Beloit, and Beloit College are partnering in the most effective way to promote the success of the region.“
The state, the city, and the college recently partnered on the award-winning Powerhouse student center and the Riverwalk project connecting the city with the river and the Powerhouse.
Beloit College is also committing $1 million to supplement the Neighborhood Investment Fund grant, bringing the project’s total investment to $10 million.
The renovation will begin in the summer of 2022 with an anticipated 12-month construction schedule. The project’s completion is projected for late August 2023, a full 16 months ahead of the grant deadline.
The Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant Program provides funding for projects that supply long-term benefits to communities while addressing negative impacts from COVID-19. The grant program is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration and supported by up to $200 million in the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
To learn more about Beloit College and the Robert Morse Library, please visit www.beloit.edu or follow Beloit College on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
About Beloit College
Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin, recognized for its longstanding commitment to curricular innovation, as well as hands-on, active-learning, and international education programs. The Beloit College community is diverse and noted for its passionate engagement with ideas and the world; its students are from nearly every state as well as 44 nations. Beloit College offers more than 50 majors, 30 minors, a number of dual-degree and pre-professional programs, 100 study abroad programs, and several domestic study programs. For more information, visit www.beloit.edu.
February 23, 2022
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