The University of St. Thomas is proud of the many educational programs and opportunities that it provides to students and other constituents from the Twin Cities, Greater Minnesota, the Upper Midwest and far beyond. A shining star among the facilities that hosts many of these programs is the Daniel C. Gainey Conference Center in Owatonna, Minn., just an hour south of our campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis.
In the two and a half decades since its establishment, the Gainey Center has brought to Owatonna and southern Minnesota not only educational programs and top-quality conference facilities, but also a beautiful venue for corporate and spiritual retreats. The pastoral setting of wooded hills and rolling horse pastures brings a fresh outlook and new life to all who take advantage of this educational gem. Many southern Minnesotans have done so, even earning master’s degrees from St. Thomas at the Gainey Center.
St. Thomas is pleased to have served Owatonna and the surrounding communities for the past quarter century, both educationally and by bringing business (and businesses) to the area. In an effort to keep its programs strong and to bring an even larger number of students, corporate and nonprofit employees, and community residents to the Gainey Center, the university has created an exciting plan for expansion.
The Gainey Center has been a benefit to the Owatonna area and the larger southern-Minnesota region. It is a wonderful asset, bringing business activity to Owatonna and providing a picturesque location for area residents to gather.
Over the years, in addition to its academic programs, St. Thomas has introduced non-academic programs and services that are consistent with the educational mission of the center. They have served a valuable purpose in and of themselves while at the same time helping to keep the center’s educational offerings viable and affordable. As the Gainey Center is approached by more and larger groups for their educational programs and other events, requests consistently exceed meeting-room and dining capacity. Lack of adequate space and competition from other centers make it very challenging for the Gainey Center to capture the volume of business needed to remain fiscally strong as it continues to carry out its educational and community-service missions.
If the Gainey Center is to continue to attract and meet the needs of the community and corporate clients that help to make possible its important academic, arts and other educational programs and services, a facilities expansion is necessary. The co-centerpieces of a proposed 10,000-square-foot expansion are a new multipurpose conference room, expanded dining facilities and an ecumenical chapel.
This project will enable the Gainey Center to achieve increased use, make facilities available to area residents for a greater variety and quantity of events, and help to keep the center’s educational offerings viable and affordable for many years to come. A physical expansion and upgrade of facilities not only will help to fulfill the Gainey Center’s mission, but also will contribute to maintaining the high quality of products and services that is a hallmark of the Gainey name.
Conference Room
The Gainey Center often turns down reservations because it lacks a second adequately sized meeting space. The center also routinely turns away larger groups (up to 100) that are seeking a day-meeting location. The proposed 2,000-square-foot multipurpose conference room will accommodate these groups and enable the center to overlap day meetings with overnight retreats. It will be used as a meeting room with small-group discussion areas, as a social gathering space or for events that require capacity greater than the current dining room (which also will be expandable). The room will have windows facing the western prairie, a fireplace and French doors opening to a deck.
Chapel
Spiritual retreats and weddings are the fastest-growing segments of use and present the greatest opportunities for business growth. The Gainey Center could meet much more of the community need for these services and significantly increase revenue in these areas by having dedicated space for them. A chapel on site will enrich the Gainey experience for many groups. Retreat groups from religious, educational and business organizations already enjoy the Gainey Center’s peaceful atmosphere that is conducive to personal reflection and spiritual growth. A chapel suitable for Catholic Masses and ecumenical services will increase the desirability of the site.
The center also is increasingly popular for weddings, anniversary celebrations, reunions and receptions; however, rain contingencies require significant planning for weddings to be moved indoors. A chapel will allow couples to marry inside without disruption to other internal spaces. It will seat 130 and will be at grade on the first level of the main conference center. It will feature a walkout to a newly landscaped patio. A sacristy will be included.
Infrastructure
An elevator will provide access to the chapel and all three levels of guestrooms and meeting spaces. A south driveway will be added. A south entry will provide convenient access to the chapel and conference room, and a new parking lot will add 60 parking spaces. Windows will be replaced throughout the center.
Guest Experience
All 35 guestrooms will receive new furniture and window treatments, and some will be updated for improved accessibility. The front lobby, lounge and dining room will be redecorated.
This addition to the Gainey Center will allow the University of St. Thomas to enhance its level of service to the region and to the center’s clients who rely on its offerings. The addition also will strengthen the capacity of the center and provide additional support for the breadth of its programming.
Gainey Center staff members estimate that the expanded facility will result in 2,000 more meeting guests and 1,500 more special-event guests each year. This, in turn, will generate valuable additional operating revenue that will support all aspects of the center’s educational and community-service mission. The expansion will help enable the university to fulfill the directive of benefactor Daniel C. Gainey and carry forward his dedication to education and his legacy of service to the community.