MANKATO, Minn. — Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWMHP) and Oak Terrace Senior Living Communities today announce a new long-term partnership centered on the future use of Notre Dame Hall at Good Counsel. Through a finalized Memorandum of Understanding, the organizations are laying the groundwork for Oak Terrace to become a senior living partner on the campus, extending the site’s long tradition of care while helping shape its next chapter of stewardship, service, and community connection.
Under the agreement, Oak Terrace will lease Notre Dame Hall and the commercial kitchen in adjacent Isidore Hall and reactivate the healthcare portion of the campus. The partnership reflects a shared belief that meaningful local collaboration can expand both organizations’ ability to serve the region well. At Good Counsel, this means pairing SWMHP’s long-term vision for adaptive reuse and community benefit with Oak Terrace’s experience in senior living to create a future use that is both practical and mission-aligned.
Oak Terrace plans to provide assisted living and memory care services at Notre Dame Hall, helping meet the growing regional demand for senior living options that support older adults, families, and caregivers.
Oak Terrace is actively working with Widseth Architects and Engineers to revitalize Notre Dame Hall and bring many of its community spaces back to life. Additional improvements will create an environment that supports residents, staff, and families while respecting the character and history of the existing building. In tandem with Oak Terrace’s plans, SWMHP is also finalizing plans for additional parking and a dedicated entrance for Notre Dame Hall to support safe and convenient access.
“At Good Counsel, we have the opportunity to honor a legacy of care by building strong local partnerships that expand what this campus can mean for the community going forward,” said Jen Theneman, SWMHP’s Director of Real Estate and Community Initiatives and Good Counsel Campus Director. “Oak Terrace brings experience, commitment, and a shared belief that stewardship is about more than preserving a place; it is about ensuring that place continues to serve people well for generations to come. We have greatly enjoyed the collaborative journey to get to this point, and are excited by the amazing potential this partnership has to impact the needs of the region.”
“This is a legacy project for Oak Terrace, and we are honored and thrilled to have the opportunity to help create a one-of-a-kind assisted living and memory care community at Good Counsel,” said Drew Hood of Oak Terrace Senior Living Communities. “This campus has a long and meaningful history of care, service, and community. We greatly respect the work of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and the care they provided here for many years. We look forward to working with SWMHP to bring new life to Notre Dame Hall through a state-of-the-art senior living community and welcoming community spaces that allow residents to thrive.”
For generations, Good Counsel has been a place shaped by care, service, and a deep commitment to community. The School Sisters of Notre Dame built the Notre Dame Hall facility in 2003 to provide care for aging sisters, continuing a mission that has defined the hilltop for decades. This new relationship with Oak Terrace builds on that foundation. As SWMHP advances the adaptive reuse of the broader campus, the continued use of Notre Dame Hall for senior-focused care represents both continuity and renewal, honoring the site’s history while ensuring it remains a place of welcome, dignity, and belonging into the future.
This partnership reflects a broader vision for the campus: one grounded in stewardship, strengthened by local collaboration, and focused on creating lasting community benefit. By pairing trusted regional expertise with the legacy of a historic place, the organizations aim to ensure Good Counsel continues to serve people in meaningful ways for generations to come.
About Oak Terrace Senior Living Communities
Oak Terrace Senior Living Communities is a family-owned and operated network of senior living communities, providing services including independent living, assisted living, and memory care. With a vision to provide compassionate senior care, Oak Terrace has served south central Minnesota for 25 years, with communities in North Mankato, Jordan, Le Sueur, and St. Peter.
For more information about Oak Terrace or to discuss future opportunities at Good Counsel, visit: https://oakterraceliving.com
About Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership
The Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWMHP) is a non-profit community development corporation serving communities throughout Southwest and South Central Minnesota. Our mission is to partner with communities to develop places for people to call home. We envision a region where every person has access to a welcoming home, and every place has a thriving and equitable community. SWMHP provides a wide range of housing services including community planning, technical assistance, and housing development.
For more information about SWMHP and our projects, visit: www.swmhp.org
Media Contact:
Jen Theneman, Director of Real Estate & Community Initiatives, Campus Director- Good Counsel
Phone: (507) 836-1610
Email: [email protected]