Marc Ott – Madison Catholic Herald


	Marc Ott, lead architect for Gorman & Company, displays some of the items that will be part of the History Lounge in Holy Name Heights, the former Holy Name Seminary in Madison (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash).

MADISON — “We really want to tell the entire story of what it was like to leave home and come to a seminary school and live every day with hundreds of other young men.”

In addition to being the lead architect on the project to repurpose the Bishop O’Connor Center (BOC) in Madison — the former Holy Name Seminary — Marc Ott from Gorman & Company has taken on a sentimental role.

Ott, member of St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison, along with his wife and children who attend school there, is heading up the efforts to make part of the Holy Name Heights building a museum.

The so-called “History Lounge,” along with other parts of the building, will tell the stories of more than three decades of students who learned and lived within its walls.

The project has sentimental meaning for Ott who is a 1992 graduate of New Glarus High School and used to compete at Holy Name in football and wrestling.

Ott said it’s a “very special connection” and a “lot of fun” to work on the project there.

Looking back and looking ahead

Holy Name opened in 1963 and closed in 1995. The building was then renovated and re-opened in 1998 as the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center.

Since then, it has been serving as the home of diocesan offices and other organizations such as Catholic Charities, the Catholic Herald, Relevant Radio, and Catholic Mutual Group.

Within the last few years, studies were done to determine how to make better use of the building.


	A look inside one of the fully-furnished apartments to be available at Holy Name Heights, located in the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center (BOC) in Madison. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash)

MADISON — People in the Diocese of Madison were recently given a “sneak peak” at the progress of the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center (BOC) redevelopment.

The building served as Holy Name Seminary from 1963 until 1995. In 1998, it reopened as the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center. It has been serving as the home of diocesan offices and other organizations such as Catholic Charities, the Catholic Herald, Relevant Radio, and Catholic Mutual Group.

Within the last few years, studies were done to determine how to make better use of the building.

A decision was made for a historic redevelopment of the building, which would include converting part of it into 53 residential apartment units, to be called Holy Name Heights, along with still housing the diocesan and organization offices.

Gorman & Company was engaged by the diocese to serve as the developer of the $21 million project and provide architectural and construction services, and property management for the redevelopment.

Gorman successfully nominated the BOC as an historic landmark and had it placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This designation enabled Gorman & Company to procure $5.8 million in historic tax credits to leverage for project costs.

Building tour

As dozens of potential tenants, former Holy Name students, and other interested guests sat in the Bishop O’Donnell Holy Name Memorial Chapel for the “sneak preview,” Msgr. James Bartylla, vicar general of the diocese, welcomed everyone to “an early vision how things are changing as we redevelop into these apartments.”

Holy Name ‘History Lounge’ seeks memories

Looking back and looking ahead

O’Connor Center project nearing completion

Building tour