A city commission approved St. Paul’s University Catholic Center’s designs Monday for a new student center for Library Mall.
The Catholic Center, located at 723 State St., originally proposed a 14-story building with student housing space but scaled down the plans to six stories with room for a student center, chapel and education center.
“Now we have a building we know we can move forward with and a building we know we can go to possible benefactors and say this is the building we’re capable of building,” said the Rev. Eric Nielsen, St. Paul University Catholic Center director.
Alumni of St. Paul’s and more than fifty students attended the meeting and spoke in support of the plans.
“The community is one of the biggest draws about St. Paul’s, and the space we have now isn’t enough to foster growth of that community,” UW-Madison senior Allison Maytag said. “And the bunker-like exterior gives no indication of the welcoming atmosphere.”
While the student center designs received approval, members expressed concerns about some aspects of the architecture and how other city committees feel about the design.
“I’m troubled that Urban Design Commission hasn’t completed their final design and review,” commission member Bradley Cantrell said. “The thought process of contemporary architecture versus historical is settled, but the details need to be refined.”
Even though some architectural details are not decided, commission member Michael Heifetz said the plans meet the commission’s standards and will be “quite an addition to Library Mall, the university and campus life.”
“It gives us the space we need to adequately fulfill our programming,” Nielsen said. “It adequately reflects the spirituality and the tradition of the Catholic church to those who see the building.”
The Planning Commission approved the design for the six-story student center, which will progress to Common Council and then to Urban Design Commission for final approval.
