Luther Seminary plans to vacate its St. Paul campus – Twin Cities

After more than 125 years in St. Paul, Luther Seminary is looking to lean into online education and relocate to a much smaller physical campus.

Where will it land? Undetermined.

The seminary, an accredited graduate school of theology based in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood, was founded in Afton in 1884 and moved to St. Paul in 1893. In a written announcement Tuesday, seminary officials said their board of directors voted unanimously to transition to a more “nimble” model and “initiate a process to seek new space in the Twin Cities area that aligns with its needs going forward.”

The seminary is to remain in St. Anthony Park through at least the 2026-2027 school year. Currently, about 70% of students primarily take their courses online while engaging in ministry in communities across the United States.

Luther Seminary President Robin Steinke said in the statement the goal is “to remain sustainable over the long term” and “steward our resources more effectively and serve students and learners from all walks of life.” In an era of hybrid online classes, that includes “strategic, periodic in person-learning,” Steinke said.

“The way students learn and prepare for ministry has changed. Now is the right time to align our resources with that reality and evolve how we deliver on our mission,” Steinke said.

The seminary, a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, entered into a purchase agreement this year with Lifestyle Communities, which hopes to buy the entirety of the lower campus, which has land parcels in both St. Paul and Lauderdale. The property includes Northwestern Hall, Stub Hall and Breck Woods. Closing on the purchase is expected in 2026, according to the seminary’s February announcement.

The Edina-based housing developer previously opened the Zvago Cooperative, a retirement community, next to Gullixson Hall at the east end of the seminary campus in St. Anthony Park.

In 2022, Luther Seminary announced a previous deal to sell the lower campus was on hold, given cold feet from developer Inland Development Partners, which the school said had blamed increased construction costs and the city’s then-new rent control policy.

Under community opposition, Luther Seminary last year canceled a separate arrangement with Ramsey County, which had planned to lease the long-vacant Stub Hall dormitory and use it as an emergency “Safe Space” shelter, which would have provided 64 men’s and women’s beds through a partnership with Model Cities.