The Management Education Center, a joint business school center of Minneapolis College and Metropolitan State University, is undergoing a major renovation project that will modernize and expand its facilities.
A Historic Building with a New Vision
The building that houses the Management Education Center was originally constructed in 1927 as an office for Standard Oil. It later served as the headquarters of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association in the 1960s. Minneapolis College first transformed the space into offices and classrooms in 2005.
Now, the building is getting a $22.5 million upgrade, thanks to the funding approved by the Minnesota Legislature in its most recent session. The project aims to breathe new life into the nearly century-old business education building in downtown Minneapolis.
The renovation will include a total gut and overhaul of three floors, adding 18 new classrooms with computer labs, 18 additional classrooms, an audio/video recording space, and student breakout and lounge spaces. The project is expected to be completed by December 2024.
A Hub for Entrepreneurship and Diversity
One of the highlights of the renovation project is the creation of a new Entrepreneurship Center, which will provide applied learning experiences for students and act as a resource for small businesses in the Twin Cities.
The center will particularly focus on providing growth opportunities to minority-owned businesses in the Twin Cities, according to the schools. The center will also offer mentoring, networking, and consulting services to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Minneapolis College VP of academic affairs Gail O’Kane said that the goal of the center is to support not just the students at the college but also the business community.
“Our grand goal is to really support not just the students at our college but to provide a key resource for the business community,” she said.
A Boost for Business Education
The renovation project is also expected to boost the enrollment and diversity of the business school programs offered by Minneapolis College and Metropolitan State University.
Since 2020, enrollment in Minneapolis College’s business school has stabilized to about 750 total students each year, O’Kane said. The school aims to increase diversity of its student body in the years ahead.
The business school’s new Applied Professional Skills (APS) certificate, launched this fall, aims to provide essential business skills that people need to quickly get into the workforce. The program is designed to provide privilege to students who came through education systems that did not provide them with that, O’Kane said.
The renovation project is one of the largest projects Minneapolis College has ever taken on, and the biggest collaboration Minneapolis College and Metro State have partnered on to date, O’Kane noted.
