St. Scholastica shows off new building planned for BlueStone Commons

The new Health and Science Pavilion building planned for BlueStone Commons | College of St. Scholastica

St. Scholastica has officially unvieled their plans for a new building at the successful BlueStone Commons development off Woodland Avenue in Duluth.

The Duluth News Tribune shed light on the project that will be called the Health and Science Pavilion and will be constructed on the site that formerly was home to the Woodland Middle School. The college will hold an official ground breaking ceremony today for the new $17.1 million project which is expected to open by Summer 2016.

Standing three stories tall, the 45,000 square foot building will be home to the graduate occupational and physical therapy programs that the college currently houses on their main campus. There is hope that a new physician assitant program also will call the building home if accrediation is achieved by next summer. However, the building will be more than just a space for learning.

Located within the building will also be the Maurices Community Clinic, a free on-site clinic that was made possible by a generous donation from maurices corporation. The programs within the building will offer services through the clinic allowing the students to have real life experiences pertaining to the education just floors blow.

WHY BLUESTONE?

Now there have been a few questions regarding why The College of St. Scholastica would build a building closer to UMD than their own campus. Well, if you look at the BlueStone Commons development as a whole then you'll notice it clearly is a perfect fit.

With BlueStone Lofts finished and filled with residents, the new BlueStone Flats under construction, and the wildly successful retail component of the BlueStone Commons development, the Shops at BlueStone, completing it's third phase within the month, it's clear this is the place to be.

It also makes sense when you consider the fact that most of the residents within the residential buildings at BlueStone Commons are graduate students, the same people in which would enroll in the programs offered at the new Health and Science Pavilion.

MORE DETAILS

While the St. Scholastica's development will take up a large space of the remaining land available at BlueStone Commons, developer Mark Lambert is not done yet.

BlueStone Vue will be the next residential building to be constructed directly next door the St. Scholastica's new building. The will also be additional retail space added to the Shops at BlueStone (most likely within the BlueStone Vue project itself). BlueStone Vue is expected to begin construction in late 2016 with completion expected in Fall 2017.