Residence Halls to Receive Major Upgrades Over the Summer

May 17 will bring a bit more summer bustle than usual to campus. St. Norbert residence halls Sensenbrenner, Madelaine/Lorraine Hall (Mad/Lor), Bergstrom and Victor McCormick (VMC) are slated to receive substantial renovations and updates.

SNC facilities staff and Miron Construction are partnering to install LED lighting, new flooring, updated bathroom fixtures, power supplies for air-conditioning units and intelligent fire-alarm systems. Room built-ins will be replaced with movable furniture along with other décor updates. Trash and recycling huts will be constructed for each hall.

Rick Gerbers and Sara Tilque (Facilities) led the planning stage of the project, beginning in spring of 2021 and continuing through winter.

The renovations will improve the residential experience for approximately 675 students, primarily those in their first and second years. The Children’s Center will also see some updates. New flooring and lighting, as well as new countertops, will be installed while the center temporarily relocates over the summer to gain distance from the construction noise.

These projects are in the next phase of the housing implementation plan, outlined in the SNC 2013 Campus Master Plan. Projects already completed include the construction of Gries Hall, renovations to Burke Hall and the purchase of the Prémontré and Xanten apartment buildings. On deck, Michels Hall and Mary Minahan McCormick Hall (MMM) will undergo their own renovations, and there are plans to construct more housing.

With approval from the board of trustees and the Premonstratensian Fathers, SNC secured a $6 million investment to complete the residence hall renovations. Historically low interest rates allowed the college to advance its housing implementation plan by about 15 years.

Autumn Anfang, vice president for business and finance, says, “This project supports all three pillars of the SNC Strategic Plan, supporting the curricular and co-curricular experience, financial and operational excellence and mission radiance.”

Sensenbrenner, Mad-Lor and Bergstrom will be closed all summer; VMC will re-open on July 5. SNC will still host all 32 summer camps as originally scheduled.

Feb. 16, 2022