Saint Mary’s breaks ground on new residence hall

Breaking ground are, from left: Gary Hay, principal, Hay Dobbs; State Senator Jeremy Miller; SMU Trustees Joe Ross and Jim Coogan; Connie Budin, SMU student activity president; Brother William Mann, SMU president; Michael Gostomski, SMU Board of Trustees chairman; Bob Rousseau, SMU Student Senate president; SMU Trustee Celeste Suchocki; Father Andrew Beerman, rector, Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary; Winona Mayor Jerry Miller; and Mike Hansen, president of Schwab LLC.

Brother William Mann, president, Saint Mary’s University

Saint Mary’s broke ground Friday, Oct. 7, on an innovative new residence hall at the Winona campus.

The Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees recently approved final plans and funding for the four-story facility. Construction has begun this week and the hall should be complete by August 2012, for use in the 2012-2013 academic year.

The cost of the project is estimated at $6.5 million. Hay Dobbs is the architect and Schwab LLC of Winona is general contractor.

The new residence hall will be located near the university’s high ropes course and track/soccer complex. It will be open to sophomore, junior and senior undergraduate students during the academic year, and serve conferencing, camps and educational program needs in the summer.

To view more pictures from the day's event, go to www.smumn.edu/photos.