About Lab 618

Built deliberately. Opened in stages. Designed for the next fifty years.

Lab 618 brings athletics, education, and community programming onto one 47.7-acre campus in Madison, Illinois — engineered for long-term operating health, not a single ribbon-cutting moment.

Mission

Develop, operate, and grow Lab 618 as a self-sustaining campus that delivers elite athletic facilities, accessible education pathways, and an event venue that drives long-term economic impact for Madison and the surrounding region.

Values
  • · Athletic excellence and academic opportunity, paired.
  • · Community-first design — public access, public benefit.
  • · Phased growth with disciplined capital deployment.
  • · Sustainability in materials, water, and energy use.
Phasing

Four phases over five years.

I
Forward Planning

Master plan, soils, civil, architectural concepts, preliminary budgets.

II
Core Build

Stadium, fieldhouse, outdoor fields, parking, primary utilities.

III
Education & Housing

Classroom buildings, student housing, central quad, dining and support.

IV
Ice & Aquatics

Hockey arena, natatorium, community programming buildout.

The Team

Designed by proven partners.

Dee Miller
Project Owner — Lab 618

Vision, capital strategy, and community partnerships.

Turf Solutions Group
Master planning & sports surfaces

Peoria, IL — golf, athletic fields, design, synthetic turf.

Demonica Kemper Architects
Architecture & concept design

James Kemper AIA — stadium, fieldhouse, classrooms.

Austin Engineering Co.
Civil engineering

Devin Birch PE — site, storm-water, utilities, grading.