Demolition Of Former St. Andrew's Church Begins Tuesday

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- After a postponement Monday, demolition of the former St. Andrew's Church in St. Paul is set to begin late Tuesday morning.

On Monday, the contractor needed more time to prep the site for demolition, so the demolition was delayed until Tuesday.

The former church is owned by the Twin Cities German Immersion School, which has outgrown it and plans to replace it with a new building. The school bought it in 2013.

The school said overnight Monday, the demolition contractor's equipment was vandalized. The suspects spray-painted "Don't Do It" on four pieces of equipment, while one window was whited out.

Despite the vandalism, school says the demolition will go on as planned and is expected to begin at around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. It will continue throughout the week.

Some neighbors fought to preserve the former church, but a court ruled late last month the school can proceed with demolition.

The new building is expected to open in time for the 2020-2021 school year. The building will include a new gym, cafeteria, special education space and classrooms.