Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Ripley Gardens, a mixed-income housing development by Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT) and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, features 52 rental units and 8 owner-occupied townhomes. The grand opening is scheduled for Wednesday, September 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the corner of Penn and Glenwood Avenues in Minneapolis. Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak, Council Member Don Samuels, and other guests will celebrate the opening of this historic site.  The event will include tours of the apartments and homeowner units, with a brief program starting at noon.

Ripley Gardens is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it was home, from 1896 to 1956, to a maternity hospital founded by one of the region’s first female doctors. The site was then sold to the Queen Care Center nursing home and has been vacant since the nursing home closed in 1999.

“It’s an important site for the neighborhood and for the city because it stands on a major corridor leading into downtown,” says CCHT Project Manager Matthew Hendricks. “But it wasn’t an easy site to develop.” Hendricks says that the historic preservation requirements, the cost of redevelopment, and the site’s unusual topography made it daunting to other potential developers. 

CCHT preserved the site’s three historic buildings: a hospital building, a Tudor cottage, and a stone bungalow, all built between 1910 and 1915. CCHT also added three new buildings: a 31-unit apartment building and two sets of townhomes developed in partnership with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. The site now provides a total of 52 rental units and 8 owner-occupied units.

Ripley Gardens is one of eight demonstration projects in Minnesota funded by Minnesota Green Communities and the first of its Metro Area projects to be completed. The site features rain gardens to filter storm water run-off, energy-efficient lights and appliances, high-efficiency heating and cooling, and the use of sound building materials to create a healthy living environment for residents.

The project also represents CCHT’s first partnership with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers and future owners of the site’s eight townhomes helped in the construction. The townhomes provide homeownership opportunities for larger families, with three 3-bedroom homes and five 4-bedroom homes.

Driven by rising land and construction costs, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is turning with increased frequency to multi-unit housing structures.  This type of development often brings complexities, but also offers an opportunity to unite the community for the common goal of providing decent affordable housing.  Ripley Gardens is a prime example of this new building model - one that requires significant community and financial support. Click here for a list of key Twin Cities Habitat partners and sponsors.

"The diverse partnerships that have made this project a reality are a vivid example of what it takes to create new affordable housing opportunities for the thousands of hard-working families in  need,” said Susan Haigh, President and CEO of TCHFH. “Partnerships like this make our work possible and provide the opportunity to transform families, neighborhoods and communities one house at a time.”

The 60 units at Ripley Gardens are a mix of affordable (rent- and income-restricted) and market-rate and will serve people earning a variety of incomes.

The site also features a memorial garden honoring maternity hospital founder Dr. Martha Ripley. The meditative space was planned in partnership with the Ripley Memorial Foundation. Its design guides visitors’ eyes to the cornerstone of the hospital building, where Dr. Ripley’s ashes were placed in 1915 and remain today.

“It’s exciting to see this kind of change happening so quickly in the neighborhood,” Hendricks says. “We heard from neighborhood residents that they want to see more affordable living options, more home-ownership opportunities, and a revitalization of this intersection. Though it’s just been completed, this redevelopment has already delivered in those areas.”

There are less tangible benefits as well, adds Hendricks, such as the value of preserving a historic landmark. Since CCHT announced the redevelopment plans, several people who were born at the maternity hospital have contacted the organization and toured the site. “It’s hard to put a dollar value on preserving such an important landmark.”