Weld Hall Renovation is Top Priority

Last week, MSUM hosted Minnesota’s Senate Capital Investment Committee, whose members were on campus to learn more about our planned renovation of Weld Hall. The proposed renovation, estimated at $19 million, is the number one capital project for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in the upcoming legislative session. It will be months before a bonding bill is finally passed, but earning the support of the legislative committees that craft the bills in their respective chambers is a crucial first step.

The oldest and most iconic building on MSUM’s campus, Weld was last renovated 50 years ago.  While it still retains its considerable character and charm, it is also long overdue for a facelift. We envision a facility with innovative, flexible classrooms and a major renovation of Glasrud Auditorium—including restoration of the grand balcony.  In short, renovating the building will ensure that it is not only restored to its original beauty but also modernized and equipped for 21st-century learning.

This means more collaborative learning spaces and state-of-the-art learning technology.  But it also means making the building more accessible to the Moorhead community.  While the building currently faces inward toward the campus mall, plans call for adding a north entrance that would make the building welcoming and accessible from 6th Avenue.  The interior spaces would be usable by the Moorhead community for town hall meetings, community events, conferences, and performing arts events.

The project has been “shovel ready” since MSUM received funds to design the renovation in the 2018 legislative session. Although it was a top priority for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in the 2020 bonding session and received support from Governor Walz, it was not included in the final bonding bill. Here’s to 2022—and the beginning of Weld’s next chapter.

Dr. Anne Blackhurst served as Minnesota State University Moorhead’s 11th president from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2023.