Minneapolis Public Schools is putting the old Northrop school block up for sale again, hoping that an improving housing market will create a viable proposal for redevelopment.
Proposals will be accepted through Feb. 5 for the property at 1611 E. 46th St. that has been vacant since the school closed in 2005.
A previous district effort to unload the property fell apart when the poor economy intervened. Developer United Properties wanted to raze the 1923 school and build 106 cooperative housing units for people over age 55.
Wes Butler, the city's multifamily housing manager, said the city hopes that the building boom in some parts of the city will spill over to Northrop. The city is handling marketing of the property for the school district.
Stearline Rucker, president of the Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group, said the desire for senior housing is strong: "We have a big baby boom population coming up, and they don't want to move downtown or to Richfield."
