Bethany Lutheran College is pleased to announce the construction of a new on-campus Bethany Activity Center. The 83,000 square foot facility will be utilized by the entire Bethany campus population providing much needed spaces for students, athletes, and educational and community events alike. The Activity Center will include a six-lane track, jumping spaces for field events, an artificial turf infield, and drop-down netting to divide the space for multiple user groups and purposes at the same time. The Wellness Center will include new fitness and exercise spaces as well as lounge and gathering areas. Site preparation and foundation work will start during the final months of 2021 with construction continuing throughout 2022. The building is projected for completion in February 2023.

“The remarkable new facility will provide a four-fold impact for Bethany. Students currently using our overcrowded recreational and study and lounge facilities will see immediate benefit. Likewise, with Bethany’s athletic programs doubling in size since the current facilities were built, teams will have new and additional practice space. Finally, the entire Mankato community and region will see new event and recreational space available for their use. We couldn’t be more excited to begin this project,” Bethany President Gene Pfeifer said.

The Activity Center project is part of a five-phase construction and renovation effort on the Bethany campus. The development saw the Bethany baseball team moving to ISG Field at the city-owned Franklin Rogers Park in 2019 (phase one) and the construction of a new turf soccer field on the Bethany campus in late 2019 (phase two). The Student Activity and Wellness Center together make up phases three and four, while the final phase will see the renovation of the Ron Younge Gymnasium in the College’s Sports and Fitness Center.

Groundbreaking for the Center will take place at the construction site near the corner of Marsh and Division Streets on November 9, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. to coincide with the quarterly meeting of the Bethany Board of Regents.

The first four phases of the project are being funded by the $20 million Building Bethany Campaign which has already garnered more than $14 million in funding. Additional fundraising and sponsorship opportunities are currently being sought through the College’s Advancement Office.

Art Westphal, Chair of the Building Bethany Campaign said, “I want to extend my most sincere thanks to the many supportive Bethany alumni, family, and friends who’ve helped to make this new construction a reality. We are thrilled to be building a facility that will be used by both today’s students and future generations of Bethany Vikings. We look forward to meeting with new partners to help us complete our fundraising efforts for the final phases of the campaign.”

Learn more about the project on the Building Bethany webpage.