The green spaces and quiet streets of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities’ St. Paul campus provide an idyllic backdrop for transformational education, impactful outreach and innovative research pursuits. 

Much of this campus activity takes place in buildings that University reports have flagged as past their prime. But with a renewed focus on reimaging the campus, its facilities and amenities, and its connection to the greater community, change is on the horizon for St. Paul. 

University President Rebecca Cunningham formed the Saint Paul Campus Strategy Committee in November 2024. The group was charged with providing guidance on priorities for future campus programming and making recommendations regarding topics such as land use, facilities, student housing and dining, and sustainability. It completed its report in July 2025. 

A new hub

Among the committee’s recommendations is support for the implementation of a project nearly a decade in the making: the creation of a campus center that would replace the current student center and Magrath Library by integrating these services into one building.  

“As we look toward the future of the St. Paul campus, the new center represents a vital investment in our people,” says CVM Dean Laura Molgaard, who served on the Saint Paul Campus Strategy Committee. “The college is very excited about the plan for the center, particularly because our faculty, students and staff spend so much time on campus. Many of our students are on campus year-round, and our Veterinary Medical Center and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory support 24/7 operations. Having critical amenities so close to the CVM would be of real value.”

These centralized amenities would enhance the experience of CVM students, particularly students who are often anchored to campus for clinical rotations, by enhancing the campus’s ability to meet the rigorous demands of professional veterinary education, including the round-the-clock nature of clinical work. For faculty and staff, these amenities would provide a much-needed hub for wellness and connection during the long hours they dedicate to animal health and One Health, Molgaard adds.

Listening sessions were held with students, employees, and other stakeholders in 2023, but the project gained traction in late 2025, when the Board of Regents approved the University’s capital request for the 2026 legislative session. The request includes partial funding of $84 million toward the project’s estimated price tag of $126 million. 

On May 17, the House and Senate passed a bonding bill that included $35 million for the first phase of the center's construction, which is scheduled to begin in November 2026. 

Shaping the future

Reimagining the St. Paul campus aligns with a systemwide strategic planning process and seeks to build on more than 140 years of history steeped in educational and scientific advancement. 

First taking shape as a 155-acre experimental farm from 1882 through the early 1900s, the St. Paul campus area has expanded to more than 700 acres and includes facilities with academic, research, service and outreach programs focused on subjects beyond agriculture. 

The needs of the campus continue to evolve, and its future is rife with opportunities. The Saint Paul Campus Strategy Committee identified three pillars it recommends the University use to guide its vision: Campus Life, Interdisciplinary Scholarship, and Community Engagement.

Campus Life calls for investments in the new St. Paul campus/library center, residential communities, amenities, and transportation connectivity.

Interdisciplinary Scholarship seeks to position the St. Paul campus as a global leader in advancing the health of humans, animals, and the environment by leveraging cross-disciplinary collaboration. To achieve this, the committee notes that the University will need to invest in facilities and infrastructure to support research and innovation. 

Community Engagement emphasizes enhancing infrastructure, aligning programming, and building synergy among units, which will enable the campus to serve as a vibrant gateway where the public connects meaningfully with the University. 

In terms of next steps, the committee noted that priorities should be constructing the campus center and forming teams to implement the recommended three-part vision and develop plans for additional student housing.