St. Peter Community Center
St. Peter, MN | Government + Cultural
Overview
The St. Peter Community Center houses a number of community service organizations, education and gathering spaces, and recreation facilities.
Opportunity
Following the tornadoes of 1998 that devastated much of the City of St. Peter and destroyed many of its community buildings like the historic St. Peter Community Center, City leaders set out to recreate a new community center that would serve as a gathering place for all residents.
Solution
The St. Peter Community Center is bustling with activity. A senior center, day-care center, Early Childhood Education Services, a gymnasium/field house and tenant office space are all located in one convenient, efficient location. Tiered plazas on the north side of the building provide spaces intimate enough for a small group to enjoy a cup of coffee from the Community Center’s coffee shop or for larger groups and public gatherings. The design of the new facility successfully provided an endearing link to the past by including many visual elements reminiscent of the historic predecessor building. Large windows, brick and stone bases, brick patterns and corbelling, stone headers over the entrances, and other elements similar to that of the original building were all incorporated into the design. The Community Center is a masonry building, utilizing brick and locally quarried limestone. All materials, including a metal roof, were chosen for maximum durability and flexibility. The Center is now considered the cornerstone for continued growth and development within the community.