ST PAUL, Minn. — The Twin Cities German Immersion School is set to demolish St. Andrew's Church in St. Paul Monday in order to create more for space for students.
TCGIS bought the church six years ago and has been using it as a gym and cafeteria for their students.
The school was originally hoping to demolish the church back in June and says it had cost them thousands of dollars for every week the project was put on hold.
Earlier this month, the Minnesota Court of Appeals denied a waiver of bond request by a group of preservationists hoping to stop the demolition of historic St. Andrew's Church in St. Paul.
Members of the Save Historic St. Andrew's (SHSA) failed to come up with the approximately $2 million necessary to have their case to save the church heard by the court.
“Our decision to replace this building was a difficult one, and was based on the needs of our students and teachers and the limited budget of a public charter school," said TCGIS Executive Director Ted Anderson in a statement.
"It is hard for all of us to see a beautiful building torn down. And we empathize with those with fond memories of the building. TCGIS students, teachers, staff and parents also created many memories within these walls, having repurposed the building for the past six years.”
The new addition is expected to open in time for the 2020-2021 school year.
