Dr. Donna J. Helble Hall – WSU Education Village

Winona State University’s Facilities Services team is gearing up for a busy summer construction season. Read below for highlights of the many new and ongoing projects that will enhance our campus and grounds.

  • Education Village – Construction work will be completed in early summer, followed by installation of furniture and technology. The Dean’s and department offices will move into Cathedral Hall at the end of May; Wabasha Recreation and Dr. Donna J. Helble Hall will be ready for faculty to move in early August. The new building complex will include a Chartwell’s café, conference spaces, and many casual meeting and study spaces. A Grand Opening celebration will be held Sept. 5.
  • Gildemeister Hall Space Utilization – A campus discussion will be scheduled this fall to evaluate future use and space utilization in Gildemeister.
  • Center for Interdisciplinary Collaboration Engagement and Learning (CICEL) – This new highly-sustainable replacement for Gildemeister Hall and Watkins Hall has been submitted as WSU’s 2020 Capital Bonding request. The Minnesota State Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote on the 2020 Bonding List at its May meeting.
  • Laird Norton Center for Art and Design – Construction will begin on life safety and accessibility improvements. After this work is completed in Fall 2019, the building will be available to host events for up to 100 people. Design will continue for subsequent phases that will be constructed as funds become available.
  • Campus-Wide Energy Savings Project – Design and data gathering will continue to define a campus-wide energy savings and renewable energy project. With this project, we intend to significantly reduce our energy-use and carbon footprint.
  • Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium – A new high-resolution videoboard and sound system will be installed at the south end zone. This project is Phase 1 of the planned stadium renovation.
  • Indigenous Learning Garden – Having rested and regenerated for a season, the garden will receive its first phase of plantings this summer.
  • Phelps Hall – Reconstruction of the main entry steps will begin shortly after Spring Commencement. As the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the State Historic Preservation Office was consulted to guide the design solution.
  • Residence Life – Multiple projects are scheduled to take place this summer in our residence halls, including new doors in Sheehan Hall and new finishes and appliances in Building C at East Lake Apartments.
  • Stark Hall – A new fume containment room will be built in the Materials Manufacturing Lab. Design work will continue to upgrade the heating and cooling systems.
  • WSU-Rochester
    • A new nursing simulation lab is being designed for construction during Fall Semester. The lab is intended to be ready for use in January 2020.
    • Preparation and data gathering will be occurring to start a WSU-Rochester Campus Master Plan during the Fall Semester.
  • Campus Landscape and Grounds – This summer the Facilities group will be focusing on cleanup, repair and upgrade of the campus grounds, including signage, landscape features, lighting and walks.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to sharing the new and improved WSU campus with you.

For more information, contact James Goblirsch, Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management, at 507.457.5039, james.goblirsch@winona.edu.