Model 4: Adaptive Reuse of a Hospital

In Making Housing Happens Mary Nelson pens the amazing story of how Bethel New Life, a nonprofit of a small Lutheran Church, transformed a run down 9.2-acre, 437-bed, seven-building hospital campus hospital into national award winning model affordable housing. Today, the campus is comprised of 125 units of subsidized housing for seniors, 85 units of assisted living, adult day services, a health clinic, an 80-person child development center, a cultural and performing arts center, small business center, and headquarters for Bethel New Life’s administrative operations. Over $30 million was brought into this credit-starved community to complete the campus reuse. Before the Bethel Lutheran Church attempted such a huge adaptive reuse endeavor, they had already put their church building up for collateral five times to do affordable housing projects.

Bethel New Life believes in involving the community to create public art. This instills pride, a voice, and community “ownership” of the many affordable housing buildings they have developed in he community. For example, children are involved in the pubic art projects at the adapted hospital campus. They created this monument to their friends killed in drive by shootings—those who died too soon.

Links:

Bethel New Life’s website: http://www.bethelnewlife.org/