submitted by farrisr@augsburg.edu
Today, Augsburg announced an agreement to sell the property at 2511 East Franklin Avenue to the Somali Museum of Minnesota to develop a permanent museum facility and cultural center on the former Bethany Lutheran Church site.
Since 2020, the university has worked with community-based developer Redesign (formerly Seward Redesign) to identify a financially sustainable, community-serving use for the property that contributes to the vitality of the East Franklin Avenue corridor. The church building and property were donated to Augsburg in May 2020 before the Bethany Lutheran congregation dissolved in September 2021.
Redesign ultimately connected the university and the museum to explore a potential convergence of shared interests for the site. During the 2023 legislative session, the Somali Museum was approved for state funding to advance the project.
Neighbors and community members will be invited to attend a public gathering to learn about the Somali Museum and the vision for the project and to share stories about the site’s history and place in Seward—more details about date and time to come.