The University of Wyoming has announced plans to begin raising its share of funding for a joint-use building on the Casper College campus.

The estimated $32 million building will serve as a student union and University of Wyoming/Casper College center, which falls under the college's 25-year master plan for development.

Ann Rochelle, the university's trustee from the Casper area, said any fundraising efforts from the university will not compete with the college's own opportunities to raise money.

"We can't go after Casper College's donors," Rochelle said. "We want to be very mindful in getting our part that we cooperate with Casper College and not take away their funding."

Rochelle said the university plans to raise its $15 million share over the next year and a half, as well as sell the university's outreach building located on Poplar Street in Casper.

"The board of trustees unanimously passed a motion to get the show on road," Rochelle said. "We have to come up with our part of the building."

Bill Hambrick, the president of the college's board of trustees, said the Gateway Center for Training and Development is still Casper's first priority.

The new student union and joint building will free instructional space and give university faculty a more permanent home, Hambrick added.

"We have been working with the university for a long period time, in fact, for 30 years," Hambrick said. "It's just a real pleasure for us to be able to work cooperatively together, and yet maintain our own identities."

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com. Read her blog at my.trib.com/jasasantos.