MINNEAPOLIS — After sitting vacant for years, the Simpson United Methodist Church at East 28th Street and First Avenue in south Minneapolis is getting a new purpose.
Demolition to turn the church into a shelter for folks living without homes, as well as affordable housing units, began Monday morning.
A crowd gathered shortly before 10 a.m. outside the church to watch it embark on its new chapter.
For Glenn Davis, an old building can be like an old friend. As church caretaker since 1997, it's no surprise Davis knows the church, perhaps better than the back of his own hand.
"Three or four days a week, we'd come out here and tack some of the rubber roof that's up there and do plumbing and all the different stuff," Davis said.
He said it's bittersweet to watch the building come down, but he's glad it's getting put to better use.
Davis, along with several others were also a part of a quick prayer circle, prayed for the house of prayer. The circle sent good wishes that the church, as a shelter, can do more good.
"This is the no turning back moment as we begin demolishing the church today," Steve Horsefield, Simpson Housing Services executive director, said. "Following this then would be construction on what we hope is going to be a new national best practice shelter model along with 42 units of supportive housing."
Simpson Housing Services, having inherited the church, will work with Project for Pride in Living.
"We're developing 42 units of permanent supportive housing and Simpson is rebuilding a shelter with 70 beds," Chris Dettling, the vice president of real estate development at Project for Pride in Living said. "So the building will have onsite services 24 hours a day."
As the church had been a place of hope, the new building will continue to be.
"As we feel the temperatures starting to drop, I do have to remind everyone, that homelessness is a problem that's related to poverty not climate," Horsefield said. "And although we feel it more, the problem is exactly the same in numbers this time of year as in the middle of Summer."
Horsefield said they are hoping to begin construction in the beginning of 2024, and have it complete by summer of 2025.
If you would like to contribute to the project, you can find more information about their "Build-Up Campaign at Simpson Housing Services.org.
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