Marian Center for Nonprofits

1. What nonprofit businesses and organizations do you harbor? How broad a geographical area do your tenants represent?
The center serves as home to 33 nonprofit organizations (see sidebar). Our organizations represent national, state, and local entities. Through them, the Marian Center has the potential to touch the lives of over 50,000 individuals on an annual basis. For more on the missions of these organizations, see our website.

2. What is the range of rent? Do tenants pay for heat and electricity?
Monthly rents for office spaces are calculated on a per-square-foot basis. Our current rate is $9.25 per square foot and includes heat, electricity, and parking. The tenant organization provides for phone and internet service as needed.

3. Whose idea was it to create a center for nonprofits? What is the mission of the Marian Center? How has the mission evolved?
The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi sponsors the Marian Center for Nonprofits. In a restructuring of the use of the buildings, the sisters began leasing office space to nonprofits early in 1990. When it was determined that St. Mary’s Academy would close with the graduating class of 1991, the natural next step was for the complex to become a nonprofit center. The Marian Center was one of the first nonprofit co-locations in the country.
The mission is to provide affordable spaces and opportunities for nonprofits to grow, guided by the Franciscan tradition, reflected in activities that promote holistic growth through learning, the arts, and spirituality.

4. What is the history of the two buildings that comprise the Marian Center?
As one of the oldest of the congregation, the corporate ministry of the St. Coletta Institute began as a boarding school for girls in Jefferson, Wis. in 1899. In order to expand, the institute moved to its current home adjoining the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. The north building, Loretto Hall, was constructed in 1904 as St. Mary’s Institute, a school for young women. In 1931, Rosary Hall was built to serve as St. Clare College, the predecessor to Cardinal Stritch University. In 1962, St. Mary’s Academy, as it was now called, expanded into Rosary Hall, which included the gymnasium, auditorium, science labs, and an art studio. From the first class in 1906 through the last in 1991, more than 8,000 young women have graduated from St. Mary’s Academy.

5. What are your dreams or plans for the Marian Center?
Our dream is to carry out the mission of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi in the best possible way and to have all parts of the campus used to their fullest extent.

6. What are the primary challenges to your physical plant and plans to address them?
The primary challenge is to continue to maintain the physical plant, while preserving the historic nature of the structures. The campus is vast with many aspects of maintenance and upkeep throughout.

7. How do you market the center?
We have found that word-of-mouth has served best for potential tenants finding us. We maintain a website, promote the center through our current tenant organizations, and circulate emails regularly to real estate professionals and members of the nonprofit community.

8. Is the center being used to its fullest capacity? How could it be in a best case scenario?
Currently our tenant base is the largest in the history of the center. We do have various size office and studio spaces available for lease by nonprofit organizations. The best-case scenario would be to have all leasable spaces filled and increased activities in our auxiliary spaces. The gym, social room, auditorium, and conference rooms currently total in excess of 50 uses each month.

9. What can the public use your facilities for?
The public can rent any of our auxiliary spaces for meetings, ceremonies, theatrical productions, fundraising events, pageants, family parties, and a variety of other uses. It can all begin with a phone call and a question.

10. What is the center’s relationship to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee?
The archdiocese currently leases space at the Marian Center for a ministry office. Though sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, the Marian Center for Nonprofits itself is non-denominational in its leasing and rental practices.

Marian Center for Nonprofits
3195 S. Superior St., Milwaukee & 3211 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis
Executive Director Charlane O’Rourke-Hertig & Operations Manager Linda Mrochinski
(414) 483-2430
mariancenter.net

Nonprofits at the Marian Center

Acacia Theatre Company
Air Shows of Wisconsin, Inc.
AMVETS Post #60 (and their Bingo Administration Office)
Apostleship of Prayer, Office of the National Director
Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee
Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, Inc.
Civic Music Association
Clare Oasis
Community Projects for Seniors
The Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena of Kenosha
Gesu Church Music Ministry
Hypnosis Wisconsin
The Ignatian Associates
Lakeland Baptist Association, Inc.
The Lalumiere League
Matt Talbot Recovery Center, Inc.
Metro Milwaukee Sports Association, Inc.
Milwaukee Archdiocese Cross-Cultural Ministries
The Montessori Institute of Milwaukee, Inc.
The Parish Evaluation Project
People First Wisconsin
Redbird Studios, Inc.
The St. Mary’s Academy Alumnae Association
7th Senate District Office of Senator Jeff Plale
The Siddha Yoga Dham Affiliate of Milwaukee
Soulstice, Ltd.
Spiritual Living Center of Greater Milwaukee
The Academy Theatre
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission on Certification and Accreditation
VSA arts of Wisconsin
Veterans Day Parade of Milwaukee, Inc.
Wisconsin We Care