Winona State University will host a community meeting on the Education Village project from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, in the Great Hall at Watkins Manor, 175 E. Wabasha.
The meeting will open with an introduction by Ron Dempsey, Vice President for University Advancement at WSU. The agenda will include discussion of the Education Village project and upcoming construction plans and site improvements. Various WSU representatives will be on hand to answer questions.
In 2014, WSU was awarded $5.9 million from the legislature to develop a plan for the Education Village, a state-of-the-art facility that will transform teacher preparation and integrate the university into the community and its schools.
Education Village will repurpose and renovate Wabasha Hall, Wabasha Recreation Center and Cathedral School to support shared community, school and university usage, and renew the outdoor spaces and surrounding neighborhood. The refurbished buildings and grounds will offer flexible learning and teaching spaces, as well as specialty labs and classrooms serving all education programs.
The 2016 Minnesota Legislative session closed without a bonding bill, but the university remains hopeful Phase 2 of the project will be fully funded.
Work continues on the project using Phase 1 funding. Window replacement and exterior masonry repairs on Cathedral School and Wabasha Hall are currently taking place. Demolition of the annex behind Cathedral School will occur starting the week of Nov. 7. In addition, eight houses that remain in the Education Village project area have been abated for use in training exercises to be conducted by the Winona Fire Department the week of Nov. 7. Demolition work will continue through the end of the year.
The community meeting is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Street parking is available. The lot in front of Watkins Manor is reserved for residents and family members.
For more information, call the WSU Communications Office at 507-457-5024.
