University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee officials celebrated the start of construction Wednesday for the university’s new $118 million chemistry building.

The four-story, 163,400-square-foot building is being built just west of the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center at North Maryland Avenue and East Kenwood Boulevard.

When completed, the building will replace UWM’s 50-year-old chemistry building, located at 3210 N. Cramer St. on the west side of campus.