Presentation Sisters Sell College Athletic Facilities to Aberdeen for Public Recreation

Presentation College’s big investment in sport failed to keep the small private college open. The closure of the Aberdeen college this summer left the Presentation Sisters with a large gym and training facility (the Strode Center) and a big inflatable dome that covers the entire astroturf football field (but can’t quite contain the goalposts). Since the good Sisters themselves don’t have much use for those facilities, they’ve found a way to put those assets to good use to serve the community—turning the Strode, the dome, and much of the land surrounding those facilities over to the city for recreation:

In recent months, the Sisters have partnered with the City of Aberdeen and its Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department to guarantee that their campus and its facilities will continue to benefit the community even after its tenure as home to Presentation College. “The Sisters have a long tradition of partnering with others to enhance the quality of life for all the people of Aberdeen. We found a strong, reliable partner in Mayor Schaunaman and are grateful that children of all socio-economic status will have access to these resources for years to come. Both the City and the Sisters value being inclusive as a pathway of being in right relationship with all people”, said Sister Mary Thomas.

The City of Aberdeen will acquire a significant portion of the Sisters’ Campus, encompassing the Strode Center, the Dome, soccer field, and the northeast parcel of undeveloped land.

“These properties will help us continue to improve quality of life in Aberdeen by allowing us to expand our commitment to providing year-round recreational opportunities to everyone in the community”, said Mayor Travis Schaunaman. “The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary have been integral to the success of Aberdeen and I’m glad that we’re able to help them perpetuate their legacy for generations to come” [Presentation Sisters, press release, Hub City Radio, 2023.10.16].

Hey, Mayor Schaunaman! You caught that part about inclusivity, right? Be sure to tell your Republican friends who stage all those insurrectionist anti-immigrant rallies that everybody gets to use the Presentation recreation facilities, including immigrant kids.

The city is still working out how to integrate these new facilities into its already pretty robust parks and recreation program:

Robin Bobzien is the city manager of Aberdeen. He said the community has entered early talks to save some of the campus.

“The Sisters wanted to make sure that some parts of the campus remained open to the public and remained a big part of the community,” Bobzien said. “So, the partnership seemed to be very well aligned. The city at this point is working on some things with the Sisters to make sure the dome and the Strode Center are part of our programming through parks and recreation.”

Now, the city is figuring out how to best use the space.

“Parks and rec has been pondering what it is that we can do with them, what type of programming we can do,” Bobzien said. “It’s still pretty early to know exactly how everything is going to work out but our intention is to make sure those facilities are being put to good use and make sure they’re being utilized as the Sisters had intended” [C.J. Keane, “City of Aberdeen in Talks to Repurpose Presentation College Campus,” SDPB Radio, 2023.10.17].

Mayor Schaunaman sees lots of demand for more gym space and indoor rec opportunities during winter (half the year in Aberdeen) and maybe renting the Strode and the dome out to NSU and other entities for practice space. But hearteningly, Mayor Schaunaman appears to have his head screwed on straight in terms of respecting and perpetuating the Presentation Sisters’ mission:

“There will be some opportunity for revenue,” Schaunaman said, but that won’t be a lot. Revenue wasn’t the driver, he said. “For us, it’s more a quality of life (reason).”“There will be some opportunity for revenue,” Schaunaman said, but that won’t be a lot. Revenue wasn’t the driver, he said. “For us, it’s more a quality of life (reason)” [Rae Yost, “Aberdeen Finds Fit with Presentation Facilities,” KELO-TV, 2023.10.17].

Sport couldn’t keep Presentation College open, but the city’s acquisition and use of the college’s sport facilities will help keep Aberdonians happy and healthy. The future uses of the rest of the campus, including the classroom buildings, the chapel, the convent, student housing, physical plant, wind turbine, and the expansive campus green and wetlands to the west (hey! GF&P! How about a Northeast Outdoor Campus), remain to be determined. But expect the Presentation Sisters to look for ways to put those facilities into public service as well.