Last week, Rep. Steve Tharinger, Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, and legislative and gubernatorial staff visited UW Seattle for a briefing on and tour of the UW’s 2025 capital budget priorities. Attendees were briefed on the University’s long-term capital plan, campus asset renewal program, and recently completed or in progress capital projects.
UW staff then dove into the University’s 2025 capital budget requests:
$125M for the construction of a new Chemical Sciences Building and the strategic renovation of Bagley Hall. Constructed in 1937 and 1957, current Chemical Sciences facilities are overwhelmed by student demand and program constraints and do not meet the requirements for interdisciplinary, modern science education and research. Chemistry is a core program at UW and is required for students in most STEM and health science degree programs. Annually, chemistry teaches 68,000 student hours and current facilities serve more than 18,000 students. Additionally, chemical sciences research fuels discoveries and innovation in clean energy, quantum, artificial intelligence, and more. New facilities will help meet course demand and increase degree production, improve interdisciplinary learning, attract and retain world-class faculty, increase federal grant funding for cutting-edge research, and strengthen relationships with industry partners, and grow workforce pipelines.
$292.6M in Climate Commitment Account funding for 10 projects to support the transition to 100% clean energy at UW Seattle. The UW is diligently working through a comprehensive five-part strategy to decarbonize the energy systems on the Seattle campus. This is a monumental undertaking, particularly because UW Seattle’s current energy system has served the campus for 100+ years, is capacity-constrained, and no longer aligns with sustainability goals. The UW seeks funding to support the first 10 projects outlined in the clean energy strategy, which will help modernize the UW’s energy infrastructure, propel long-term decarbonization efforts, and enhance compliance with state and local regulations.
After the briefing, legislators and staff toured Bagley Hall and the Chemical Sciences Library, including classrooms and labs. Throughout the tour, they had the opportunity to connect with current students and faculty and learn from them about their studies, research, and needs for the new facilities.
For detailed information about the UW’s 2025 capital budget requests, see our decision packages on the Washington State Office of Financial Management website. The UW Office of State Relations will also post the University’s 2025 legislative agenda later this fall.
Thank you to Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, and Rep. Steve Tharinger, as well as John Wilson-Tepeli, Kate Henry, Michael Bezanson, Alec Osenbach, Kelsey Rote, and Ramona Nabors, for visiting the UW and for your continued support!
