Stephanie Wilson Miller, 608-267-8823
County Executive
MADISON- Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced today that the Alliant Energy Center New Holland Pavilions have won two prestigious construction awards “In Business” magazine’s Best Large Project and “Daily Reporter’s” Top Projects.
“We are very proud to have received these prestigious awards,” remarked Joe Parisi, Dane County Executive. “This is a tribute to the great work that can happen when you form critical partnerships. This project brought jobs and will provide significant economic impact for years to come in Dane County.”
The expansion – 290,000 square feet of state-of-the-art multi-use space – will replace the AEC’s aging barn facilities, and has already strengthened the center’s reputation as a quality host for events with significant regional and statewide economic impact.
The New Holland Pavilions project created 200 local jobs and was completed October 2014. The 164-acre Alliant Energy Center and its facilities, including the Exhibition Hall and Veterans Memorial Coliseum, has been host to a diverse line-up of trade shows, entertainment acts, community expos, and world-renowned agriculture events such as the World Dairy Expo and the Midwest Horse Fair.
“I could not be happier with the way the project turned out,” said Mark Clarke, Executive Director of Alliant Energy Center. “It was quite a feat to watch a project of this size get completed in 5 months.”
The AEC is estimated to provide nearly $88 million in direct local economic impact. Parisi and his administration worked early in his tenure as County Executive to build the historic public/private partnerships necessary to make the $24 million project a reality.
In the time that followed, Parisi’s administration secured $9 million from the State of Wisconsin with the help of Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Secretary Ben Brancel. Long-time AEC partners World Dairy Expo and Midwest Horse Fair/Wisconsin Horse Council will contribute $3 million and $1 million to the project, respectively. Centerplate catering was a partner at $600,000 in addition donated concession equipment and New Holland purchased naming rights for $1.5 million.
In 2013 the World Dairy Expo and the Midwest Horse Fair also signed new multi-year contracts that will make Dane County home to these signature events for many years to come. World Dairy Expo’s contract is for 10 years, with a five-year option. The Midwest Horse Fair’s contract is for 20 years.
The promise of the new pavilions has helped the AEC secure a number of new proposals for prestigious shows that have never been to Dane County before.
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