To accommodate an expanding staff and provide much needed meeting and conference facilities for the Association, plans for a headquarters building were initiated by the WHA Board in the fall of 1969. They chose a lot on Madison’s west side at 5721 Odana Road parallel to the West Beltline Highway.
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held June 26, 1970, and construction progressed quickly.
See photos from the groundbreaking ceremony. It was attended by Wisconsin Attorney General Robert Warren and Madison Mayor William Dyke among others.
See the Wisconsin Hospitals newsletter from March 1971 noting the construction of the building was ahead of schedule. A rendering of the new building was already being used as the letterhead for the newsletter and other WHA communications.
The staff moved into the building June 19, 1971, and dedication ceremonies were scheduled for September 12, 1971.
See the dedication program.
The building was designed in three modules, totaling 31,000 square feet with approximately one-third of the building originally planned to be occupied by WHA and the rest to be occupied by tenants representing health care, insurance, public relations and education.
WHA resided in the building at 5721 Odana Road from 1971 to 2006 when they sold the building and moved to Madison’s south side, WHA’s current location.