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| 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.”