The new Saint Elizabeth Seton Village townhomes and Nicol Bridge at Saint John’s University have been honored as one of Minnesota’s top projects of the past year by a statewide publication.

Finance and Commerce is a daily newspaper focused on news, analysis and commentary on the Minnesota business scene. This marks the 15th year the publication has compiled its list, selected by an independent panel of judges.

“I think an honor like this speaks volumes and tells us we must be doing something right,” SJU facilities director Russ Klein said. “The fact that we caught the attention of somebody is vindication and shows we’re on the right track when it comes to making a transformative change to our student housing experience.”

The first phase of the $13.5-million project opened at the start of the fall semester in 2022, consisting of two apartment buildings near the shoreline of Stumpf Lake housing 96 juniors and seniors and totaling more than 45,300 square feet. All of the apartments are air-conditioned. Most house six students, including a living room, a small kitchen and two bedrooms on the first floor, with four bedrooms on the second.

Each building has a community laundry and a shared study room for group activities.

The newly constructed Nicol Bridge connects them to the main campus, a 270-foot long, 12-foot-wide pedestrian walkway spanning Stumpf Lake west of County Road 159.

“The students who lived in these apartments (this past school year) seemed to love it,” Klein said. “It provided them with some additional autonomy. We’ve received much positive feedback.”

Klein said phase two of the project -- which includes another 48 beds -- would be ready for students to move into this August.

“This project has brought us to the next level,” he said. “I would now put our fourth-year housing stock up against anyone’s.”