Charter school buys south Minneapolis site that housed St. Joseph's Home for Children for more than a century

A former orphanage in south Minneapolis is getting new life as a charter school campus.

Hennepin Schools is buying the 12-acre site near 46th Street and S. Chicago Avenue that housed the St. Joseph's Home for Children for more than a century.

Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis is selling the property, site of the storied orphanage that dates back to 1886 and was a temporary home for thousands of children over the years.

The nonprofit closed its remaining child protection programs last year as demand for services dwindled because of Hennepin County's child protection reforms.

"This is an exciting opportunity to honor the legacy of the campus by continuing to serve children on the site," Catholic Charities officials said in a statement.

Catholic Charities will still operate Hope Street, an emergency shelter and transitional housing on the site for homeless youth ages 18 to 22, through spring 2022.

Hennepin Schools, which has about 400 students in kindergarten through eighth grade at two locations, will now have its elementary and middle schools on the same site. The school, which started in 2012, plans to finalize the sale by fall for an undisclosed price.

The school will repurpose and renovate the brick building, which includes an old gym the Minneapolis Lakers used for practice in the 1950s. It will open to students by fall 2022.

"We're very excited," said Julie Henderson, the school's executive director. "It's a beautiful, beautiful space."

Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141