Leaders from the state, community, and college gather for a photo-op at the Impact Beloit's ribbon-cutting.
Credit: Nicholas Mischler’14

Beloit College welcomed state and local officials and community members for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting for Impact Beloit, a new hub in Morse Library designed to strengthen the connections between Beloit College and the local community.

President Eric Boynton, Wisconsin Department of Administration Deputy Secretary Paul Hammer, Wisconsin State Assembly Member Clinton Anderson, City Manager Jerry Gabrielatos, and Executive Director of Impact Beloit Tim Leslie convened in the new Impact Beloit hub inside the library’s community-facing entrance. 

Eric Boynton talks to local officials in the Impact Beloit hub.
Credit: Nicholas Mischler’14

President Boynton thanked the vision of the architects at Angus-Young, contractors at CCI for bringing it to life, and the First on Site crew who restored the space after it experienced flooding over the summer.

“The newly-renovated space goes beyond supporting our students’ learning — it’s now a hub for the entire Beloit community, the city and the college together,” said Boynton. “This renovation isn’t just about bricks; it’s about creating a dynamic and inclusive environment that empowers our students and strengthens the college’s ties to the community and the community’s connection back to the college. The library renovation is an ongoing invitation to our neighbors, friends, local organizations and businesses to make our city community stronger. The renovated library will be a bridge connecting our institution to the infinite wisdom that exists in our local community.”

Wisconsin Department of Administration Deputy Secretary Paul Hammer focused his remarks on Impact Belot’s benefits for the college community and wider community, thanks to the state’s Neighborhood Investment Grant Program.

Deputy Secretary Paul Hammer at the podium.
Credit: Nicholas Mischler’14

“In Beloit, here, this 9 million dollar award was used not just to update an existing library building, but to create an innovation and impact hub,” said Deputy Secretary Hammer. “The project we’re celebrating today is an incubator for the future of learning, bringing together local businesses, nonprofits, students, faculty, and community members to solve the problems of tomorrow, connect students to future employers, and to keep great talent right here in Beloit. I want to thank everyone involved for your vision, your dedication, and your continued commitment to making the world a better place, not just for our students, but for the entire community.”

The library officially opened this fall after a renovation that was made possible through funding from the state’s Neighborhood Fund Grant Program. This project was supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP0135 awarded to the City of Beloit via the Wisconsin Department of Administration by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.