St. Paul's Walker West Music Academy to expand earlier than expected, thanks to $2.5M loan

A $2.5 million building sale in St. Paul's Summit-University neighborhood means the growing Walker West Music Academy will be moving into bigger digs earlier than expected.

Model Cities of St. Paul, which works on health, housing and economic development issues in the inner city, bought the former Wilder Foundation building at 650 Marshall Av. on behalf of Walker West to serve as the music school's new home. Walker West is set to close the purchase Tuesday.

Praising the 35-year-old music school as a community treasure, Model Cities CEO Kizzy Downie said her organization's community development arm decided to ensure Walker West's growth plans weren't derailed as it waited on potential state funding.

"We did not want Walker West to miss this opportunity," she said. "They provide an amazing asset to the community. It aligns well with who we are as an organization."

Braxton Haulcy, Walker West's executive director, said Model Cities' move to purchase the site and turn it over to the music school will allow construction work to begin this fall. The school plans to move some of its music camps into the building this summer.

"This was a match made in heaven," Haulcy said.

The purchase is a bridge transaction while Walker West continues its $10.4 million capital campaign to expand its facilities and programming. That campaign includes a request for $5.4 million from the Legislature that would go toward the purchase and building remodel, Haulcy said. Walker West will repay Model Cities once state funding and other sources are secured, he said.

The purchase allows Walker West to take possession of the property and begin its transformation before the Legislature acts. In addition to the Model Cities money, Walker West has raised about $1.5 million.

"We knew there might be some delays at the Legislature in approving the funds for the building," Haulcy said. "We wanted to have a Plan B. This allows us to at least get the building, and then pay Model Cities back, and avoid the disruption."

Downie said helping Walker West meet its goals to better serve the community meshes with what Model Cities has been doing since its founding in St. Paul in 1967.

The music school was started in 1988 by the Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West and has outgrown its current facility. That, coupled with its 10-year lease expiring in 2023, made the move necessary, Haulcy said. When Walker West moved from its previous building at 777 Selby Av., it had about 150 students enrolled. Currently, that number is about 300.

Haulcy has said he hopes the school can accommodate between 500 and 600 students a week in the new facility. Between events and classes, it has more than 5,700 program participants.

Walker West currently uses about 6,000 square feet of space at 760 Selby Av. The former Wilder building has more than 16,000.