Open Arms Looks To The Future, Places Bloomington Ave Facility Up For Sale
Dear Open Arms Community,
For 40 years, Open Arms has grown and evolved alongside the needs of our community. From the early days in our founder’s kitchen to Franklin Avenue, Bloomington Avenue and, most recently, St. Paul, each chapter has challenged us to think boldly about what comes next.
Today, I’m writing to share another important step in that journey.
The Open Arms Board of Directors has made the decision to sell our Bloomington Avenue building and begin planning for a new Minneapolis home for Open Arms.
This is not a decision to become smaller or to leave Minneapolis. It is a decision to grow.
Demand for our services continues to rise, and our new strategic plan calls on Open Arms to expand our impact over the coming decade.
Our current Minneapolis building has helped make our extraordinary growth possible, but we have reached the limits of what it can support. Parking and delivery staging constrain the number of clients we can serve. We need more storage, refrigeration and freezer capacity. The building and its heavily-used equipment require an increasing financial investment, and even significant renovations would not solve many of its fundamental space and operational limitations.
Rather than investing millions of dollars into a building that cannot support our future growth, we have an opportunity to plan for facilities that can.
We recognize that Bloomington Avenue is much more than a building. It is a place filled with memories. Thousands of volunteers have prepared and packed meals there. Staff have built programs and relationships there. Donors and community partners helped make the building possible. And together, all of you transformed it into a place of joy, compassion and community.
We intend to honor that legacy as we build what comes next.
Nothing about our physical location will change immediately. A sale will take time, and we anticipate staying in the building for a period after the sale. Many details about our future Minneapolis location are still to be determined. What we do know is that Open Arms remains committed to maintaining a meaningful physical presence in Minneapolis and to creating a future home that is welcoming and accessible to our clients, volunteers, staff and community.
I also want to assure you that throughout the transition, our meals and services will continue without interruption. Caring for our clients remains our highest priority. We will be thoughtful about this transition so that the people who rely on Open Arms continue receiving the nourishment and care they need.
Over the coming months, we will share more about our plans, celebrate the incredible history of Bloomington Avenue, and invite our community to be part of envisioning the next chapter. Our buildings have changed throughout our 40-year history. Our purpose has not. We invite you to read our ambitious 2027-2030 Strategic Plan HERE.
Open Arms will continue to nourish our neighbors and create the joyful community that has always been at the heart of who we are. Bloomington Avenue helped us become the Open Arms of today. Now, it will become part of the foundation for the Open Arms of tomorrow.
Over 13 years, I have learned firsthand that our community is not made of brick or housed within four walls, and what makes Open Arms so special is not the address – it is the people. Thank you for everything you have done to bring us to this moment—and for being part of where we go next. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
With gratitude,
Leah Hébert Welles
Chief Executive Officer
Open Arms of Minnesota
