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MOORHEAD — After many years of planning, more than 100,000 alumni, former faculty and staff, parents and friends of Dragons will be one step closer to having a gathering space following a groundbreaking ceremony for the Minnesota State University Moorhead Foundation Alumni Center on Friday, April 29.
The ceremony is set for 2 p.m., with a short program preceding the groundbreaking at the Center for Business atrium, 721 11th St. S., Moorhead.
The Alumni Center will be built across from Bridges Hall and the campus gates on 11th Street. The 18,500-square-foot facility designed by Fargo-based Foss Architecture and Interiors will serve many purposes, including serving as an anchor for alumni returning to campus and a space for students and community members to interact.
“We are grateful for the many generous donors who funded the project so that current and future Dragons will have a place to gather when they come home,” said MSUM President Anne Blackhurst.
A lobby and event space for up to 300 people will allow for programs, presentations and reunion gatherings on campus. The spaces will also be used to host other mid-size events for the university and community.
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The Alumni Center will be home to the MSUM Foundation, with offices for staff who focus on development, engagement and caring for the gifts that are given to support the university.
Over the years, the offices have been scattered throughout campus, making efficiency and communication among staff difficult, according to campus officials.
Blackhurst said the most important purpose of the Alumni Center will be the connections it fosters between MSUM’s alumni and current students.
"That's where the magic happens," she said.
The project will be paid for through private dollars raised by the MSUM Foundation and is expected to be completed by summer of 2023.
The foundation's staff and board of directors worked together on MSUM’s recent Vision 2020 campaign, which raised more than $59 million — including funding for the alumni center.
