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Centennial Commons
The grounds of Centennial Commons, 2012
Centennial Commons is a new upperclassmen housing unit at the College of St. Benedict, located on the corner of Calloway Street and College Avenue. The complex consists of five buildings. Four of these buildings house students with 32 students living in each one. The fifth building is the Commons building. Each unit has two full baths, laundry facilities, full kitchen with dining space, living room, storage space and shared front porches.
The Centennial Commons community emphasizes sustainability, and each unit receives a statement for their water, gas and electrical use to help residents understand their actual usage of such resources. Another aspect of sustainability for the Centennial Commons is the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification that all five buildings are in the process of receiving. The complex was designed with the hopes that it will receive the silver level award in response to the design and operation of its buildings.
The new complex cost $9.2 million, a figure which reflects building costs and furnishings. Ground was broken on October 7, 2011 and completed in mid-August, 2012. The dedication ceremony for the buildings was held on September 28, 2012. Centennial Commons is named after the upcoming CSB centennial in 2013. The four residential buildings in the Centennial Commons are named after four members of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict. These Benedictine sisters have had an impact in the development of CSB:
- S. Cecilia Kapsner, OSB, prioress of the monastery when the college was founded in 1913 who served as the first president;
- S. Mary David Olheiser, OSB, established the elementary education major and served as first vice president of Academic Affairs;
- S. Mary Anthony Wagner, OSB, one of the first women to earn a doctoral degree in theology and established the Benedictine Institute of Sacred Theology, which eventually became the graduate School of Theology•Seminary at Saint John's University;
- S. Lois Wedl, professor alumna of education, past residence hall director and current resident of Margretta Hall. She is perhaps best known as the Blazers No. 1 sports fan.
Apartment's kitchen Centennial Commons, August 2012
See also:
"Centennial Commons," The Record, October 17, 2012
"Construction of new CSB Centennial Commons townhomes underway," CSB/SJU News Release, October 12, 2011.
The CSB Residential life page: Centennial Commons
Special thanks to Ariel Smelter '12 for drafting this text.