Archdiocese has buyers, bidders for multiple properties

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has a buyer or bidder for several properties the church has put up for sale.

If the bankruptcy court approves, the Minnesota Historical Society's will pay $4.5 million for the three-story Hayden Center on Kellogg Boulevard in St. Paul. The archdiocese had been using the building for office space.

Meanwhile, currently unidentified parties have bids on other archdiocese real estate in St. Paul and Northfield, including the chancery across the street from the St. Paul Cathedral.

Paul Donovan, whose firm has been marketing the properties, said the chancery is an attractive location for residential projects. "Whether senior housing or market-rate, mainstream housing, we think that's a good opportunity for that," he said.

Donovan expects all the properties will be sold by mid-April.

The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy about a year ago.

The church, sex abuse victims, insurers and other parties are in mediation talks aimed at devising a plan that compensates abuse victims and assures the financial viability of the archdiocese.