Genie Ogden, a distant relative of Brooks who does not own the property, has expressed concern about demolishing the house because she said it is part of Madison’s history.

"The Brooks's sold land to the University so they could build the Chemistry (Building) and other buildings,” Ogden wrote in a letter to the city. “I find it ironic that the UW now wants to destroy their home.”

The new and renovated space would include classrooms, lecture halls, labs, offices and support spaces from the basement through the eighth floor. Space for mechanical equipment is reserved on the ninth floor.

“It’s an important project for us because chemistry and the intro level classes feed a lot of the other departments,” Brown said. “It’s become a backlog for us because we can't provide the services we need for the students who need to take those courses.”

The chemistry department is “exploding” with new students, McMahon said, and the renovation would help retain students — approximately 7,000 undergraduates each semester. One in every five students choose to take an organic chemistry lab at another institution to stay on track for graduation because classes fill up, McMahon said.