As the first shovels of dirt were turned at the groundbreaking ceremony for the New Holland Pavilions at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, the countdown also began. From that moment on April 11, there are 158 days for construction crews to complete the new 290,000-square-foot pavilions by mid-September, just in time for World Dairy Expo, Sept. 30 through Oct. 4.
The $24 million expansion is the largest construction project the Alliant Energy Center has ever seen. It will replace the current 11 barn facilities with state-of-the-art multi-use pavilions.
The time frame is so tight there are only 10 days scheduled to allow the dust to settle before 2,500 of the world’s most elite dairy cattle will move into the new pavilions.
Original discussions had the project scheduled to take place from October 2013 through April 2014, which would have allowed the staff at World Dairy Expo more time to get acquainted with the new facility.
However, looking back at the frigid temperatures and steady snowfalls that took hold of the state through most of winter, Scott Bentley, World Dairy Expo general manager, states, “The way the Wisconsin winter was, moving it to a spring-summer build was the right decision.”
Bentley, along with World Dairy Expo Board President Mike Holschbach, were joined at the groundbreaking by representatives from the other public and private partners that helped to make this project a reality, including: Dane County, the State of Wisconsin, Midwest Horse Fair/Wisconsin Horse Council, Centerplate, New Holland and BouMatic. PD
PHOTOS
TOP: Officials participated in the historic groundbreaking for the New Holland Pavilions at the Alliant Energy Center, home of World Dairy Expo, on April 11. Photo by Karen Lee.
BOTTOM: The new 290,000-square-foot pavilions will replace the current barn facilities. Illustration courtesy of World Dairy Expo.
Karen Lee
Editor
Progressive Dairyman
