The Gorecki Dining and Conference Center

The College of Saint Benedict is now home to the Gorecki Dining and Conference Center.

News Coverage:

St. Cloud Times article: Back to School: More Options, Better Eats
St. Cloud Times article: Gorecki Dining Center Opens
CSB Article: CSB Rolls Out Welcome Mat at New Campus Landmark
CSB Profile of the donors: Home-Grown Goodness

Building Description

The Gorecki Dining and Conference Center is the main student dining facility.  It is also home to a 500-person capacity conference room, several smaller conference rooms, a large lobby that functions as a bus stop shelter, and a fireside lounge to accomodate casual group gatherings. The building is attached to Clemens library and incorporates Clemen's Perk, a pre-existing student-run coffee shop.  A cohesive, elegant color scheme lends itself to all all upholstery, furnishings, woodwork, flooring, and wall finishings.

The first floor is home to the dining center, fireside lounge, and small conference rooms.  The new dining center greets students with a wide variety of meal options including a Mongolian grill, salad bar, woodstone-baked pizza, deli sandwiches, pasta, and homestyle selections.  The serving area is designed to accomodate traffic during peak business hours.  The seating area features a wide variety of arrangements, from long conference-style tables to smaller, more intimate rounds.  The lighting, color scheme, rich wood tables, and upholstered furniture found in the adjacent fireside lounge create a warm, inviting atmosphere.   Large curved windows lend an air of openness to the entire facility.

The visual warmth of the first floor extends to the building's upper level.  The second floor is home to the President's dining room, which boasts luxurious wooden tables and a commanding view of campus.  The top floor also features a large conference room that can either be set up to welcome up to 500 people or divided to accomodate smaller groups.  Conference rooms in the Gorecki Center are equipped with wireless internet and feature computer projection screens in each room.  This level is also home to offices for culinary services, events and conferences, and catering staff.

History

Early comments by CSB President Maryann Baenninger
Early News on Groundbreaking and Donations

The previous cafeteria was located in the basement of the Main Building bridging the Monastery's portion of the building with the College's. Each building dates back to 1886 and 1889 respectfully.

The decision to build a new dining center was based on the following conclusions:

• Though the College occupied the space for several decades, a new facility would better meet the expectations and needs of current and future students.
  
• The College must generate revenue to assist in supporting the academic enterprise. The banquet and conferencing portions of the dining facility will support this initiative.
  
• The College needed additional space to accommodate student and college functions; the banquet and conferencing space would help the College host events that enhance the premier college experience offered at CSB.
  
• The Monastery’s dietary needs are increasingly specialized. These needs could be met more effectively if the College was not occupying the current space on monastery property.  Upon mutual agreement, the College committed to vacating the space used for student dining.