History & Milestones

Mankato Hospital Expansion and Modernization History and Milestones Plans for a hospital in Mankato began in 1950 with Sister M. Bartholomea of Milwaukee. She was the building director for the Sisters of Sorrowful Mother, so drafting the primary plans was her responsibility. The plans outlined a 200-bed, five-floor hospital with the ability to add a sixth floor in the future.

The "X" design of the original bed tower was chosen to allow for cross ventilation through the building as there was no air conditioning at that time and to minimize the time it would take to get food from the kitchen to the patient rooms.

The initial cost estimate by architects for constructing the original Mankato hospital was more than $1 million in 1950 and updated to $2 million at the time of the groundbreaking on May 11, 1950. The Minnesota governor, Luther Youngdahl, spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony to a crowd of 1,000 people. The facility ended up costing $4 million when it was completed in 1953.

After three years of construction, the new hospital opened for public tours on June 6 and 7, 1952. About 18,500 came to visit from all over southern Minnesota. The first patient was admitted to the hospital on June 7, 1953.

For 67 years, the hospital served the residents of Mankato and the surrounding areas. However, with time, ongoing infrastructure challenges and high demand for hospitalized care placed significant strain on the facility. Strategic planning began in 2020 for a new hospital bed tower. The project was approved by the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees in February 2022.

Key project milestones

• Sept. 2021 – Strategic planning presentation
• Feb. 2022 – Board of Trustees approval and public announcement
• March 2022 – Site preparation and crane installation begins
• May 2022 – Groundbreaking
• November 2022 – Top the Tower event
• May 2023 – Unveiling of Washington Elementary School art mural
• June 2023 – Raise a Glass event
• October. 2023 – Exterior enclosure complete
• Jan. 2024 – Fourth floor construction complete
• February 2024 – Fifth floor construction complete
• March 2024 – Sixth floor construction complete
• April 2024 – Fourth and fifth floor occupancy
• May 2024 – Sixth floor occupancy

By the numbers

• $155 million investment in Mankato community
• 121 additional patient beds
• 59% increase in patient capacity when fully staffed
• 45+ miles of electrical conduit
• 130 different crew members across eight companies are working on the project
• 168+ miles of electrical wire
• 358 window panels on the curtainwall, including 204 unique in size
• 715 gallons of structural sealant were used to hold the glass and panels
• 800 new doors
• 900 corner guards
• 1,000 gallons of fire protection and sound attenuating products
• 1,700+ steel beams
• 2000+ pieces of glass
• 2,500 gallons of paint, enough to paint a 6" strip from Mankato to Kansas City
• 4,000 labor hours worked
• 5,200 gallons of finishing compound
• 25,000 square feet of wall coverings
• 560,000 lineal feet of steel studs hoisted by tower crane — over 150 miles
• 870,000 square feet of gypsum product — enough to cover 15 football fields including end zones
• 1.5 million fasteners driven by hand — average 157 per hour, 24/7 for 13 months, laid end-to-end equaling about 35 miles
• 10 million pounds of concrete poured — equivalent to 25 Antarctic blue whales or 825 elephants
• 12.5 million lumens in the project light fixtures — enough to light 300 homes