Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Minnesota News
Hannah Yang
Mankato, Minn.

Housing nonprofit purchases former Mankato convent for affordable housing, community events

An overhead view of brick buildings and a light blue water tower among green- and yellow-leafed trees.
An elevated view of the Our Lady of Good Counsel campus in Mankato, Minn. The Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership purchased the site, marking a significant milestone in a multi-year effort to redevelop the historic site for affordable housing and community gathering spaces. A little under 100 acres were included in the deal.
Courtesy of Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

A southern Minnesota nonprofit has purchased a former convent in Mankato and its extensive grounds in order to redevelop the historic site as affordable housing. 

The Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership closed on the nearly 100-acre property known as Our Lady of Good Counsel at the end of December. 

The campus was established in 1912 and is located on a bluff overlooking the Minnesota River Valley. The purchase includes senior and assisted living housing for the School Sisters of Notre Dame who left the property in 2022 following a period of retirements that reduced their campus population. More than 110 remaining sisters were relocated to an assisted living center in Shakopee. 

As part of the property’s redevelopment plan, some of the sisters’ housing will be converted into studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments as early as this fall, said Chad Adams, CEO of the nonprofit.

churches
An exterior shot of the chapel at Our Lady of Good Counsel's former campus in Mankato, Minn.
Courtesy of The Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership

“We recognize the affordable housing crunch,” said Adams. “We’ve been very committed and invested in building more capacity in the Mankato area.”

According to a Mankato housing study published last April, the overall rental vacancy rate in Mankato is 1.7 percent. A healthy rate is considered closer to 5 percent. The city also has virtually no vacancy for people with disabilities or those seeking senior housing. 

The Our Lady of Good Counsel property also includes a chapel with a one-of-a-kind pipe organ, a water tower, apple orchard, community gardens and green space, according to the housing partnership’s Good Counsel Hill Adaptive Reuse plan.

inside of church
The inside of Our Lady of Good Counsel's chapel. The Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership plans to continue using the chapel and other parts of the campus to be used by the community for events like weddings. The nonprofit closed on a deal that purchased the former convent and expansive property for affordable housing projects.
Courtesy of The Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership

Work to convert a pasture, named Good Counsel Meadows, to housing is expected to start this spring. Adams said the goal for that parcel is to have it available to prospective home buyers by fall.

“We’re extremely excited and grateful to the School Sisters for the partnership and conversations over the last 18 months,” Adams said. “It’s been wonderful, and [we’re] looking forward to the immediate next steps in the development of the property.”