When University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates walk out of commencement with diplomas in hand, they know they have accomplished something great, but never think they will someday be renewing one of their school’s most iconic buildings, Melanie Taylor, Boldt Construction’s project manager for the Memorial Union Reinvestment, said.
Yet, this is precisely what happened to Taylor. Nine years after graduating from UW-Madison, she said she feels incredibly blessed to be working on renovating the Memorial Union.
“Every civil engineer that works for a contractor wanted this job,” she said. “I don’t know how the stars aligned that I happened to be the one sitting in this position. It’s still pretty amazing to think about.”
As the leader of an engineering team made up entirely of former Badgers, Taylor said she and her colleagues have a vested interest in conducting the renovation in a manner that honors safety and accessibility while preserving the historical significance of the “valuable jewel” that is Memorial Union.
She emphasized her commitment to protecting the natural environment around the construction site, including the trees at the Terrace which have been a point of contention among opponents of the project.
“I’m a student too, I love those trees too,” Taylor said. “In the documents, there’s actually a note that says, ‘save these trees as if your life depended on it.’”
Taylor also said her team built the new bar at Der Stiftskeller from a dying tree that was removed from the Union grounds before MUR began.
“The university had saved that tree so we thought it would be a good idea to reuse it,” she said.
She said she loves her job because every day is different, and it also grants her the opportunity to see the impact of her work first-hand.
“When you’re out and you see a couple of friends drinking on the Terrace or enjoying an ice-cream cone and you see the little kids on the stone shoreline,” Taylor said. “Yes, we’re building a building, but we’re also helping to build a community.”
She said shehopes to continue working for the university in the future.
“I love it, it’s my school,” Taylor said.
