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The former Presentation College North Suites are now called Sister Janice Klein Village. The complex includes 36 apartments. Aberdeen Insider photo by Scott Waltman.
Folks looking for multi-bedroom rentals have expressed plenty of interest in 36 apartments that used to house Presentation College students.
After just two weeks, the Aberdeen Housing Authority had more than 50 applications from people and families hoping to move into the three buildings that used to be the school’s North Suites. That was easily more than a month ago, and applications are still coming in.
Work is done on two buildings, said Brett Bill, executive director of the housing authority, and the west building is nearly finished. Each building has 12 units.
The first tenants moved into two of the apartments last week, he said.
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Bill had hoped all 36 would be ready a couple months ago, but renovations have taken longer than expected.
However, the finish line is finally in sight for what is now called Sister Janice Klein Village along North Fifth Street — so named because Klein, who died in February 2024, was passionate about housing.
The housing authority bought the buildings from the Presentation Sisters, of which Klein was a member, in January and has since essentially gutted them while converting them into modern apartments. They are now owned by Housing Plus, Inc., the housing authority’s nonprofit arm.
Sister Mary Thomas of the Presentation Sisters said the sisters have long pushed to increase housing options in Aberdeen and appreciates how the Aberdeen Housing Authority works with renters. They are treated with respect and dignity while also being held accountable, she said. The Klein Village renters will want to rise up and do better for themselves and their children, she said.
Aberdeen Housing Authority, Presentation Sisters share housing mission
Fortunately, the housing authority and the Presentation Sisters have a common mission — to provide more affordable housing. Bill said that’s important because the North Suites could have fetched far more than the housing authority paid. He declined to discuss how much the project has cost other than to say it’s been substantial by the agency’s standards.
It’s true that the transaction was more about serving a mission than filling the coffers, Thomas said. The buildings were once used as housing for college students and now serve that purpose for families, she said.
Klein, the Presentation Sisters and others in the community saw the need for more affordable housing in Aberdeen at least 25 years ago, which prompted the creation of Homes Are Possible, Inc. HAPI is a nonprofit group that provides low-to-moderate-income housing options in northeastern South Dakota. It also offers financing assistance for homebuyers.
Thomas
That reflects how long there’s been a need for more housing in town, Thomas said.
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Even the Presentation Sisters have struggled to find housing through the years, she said, and when Klein realized that, she knew others had to be facing the same challenge.
There’s a history of the sisters and the housing authority working together, Bill said.
The housing authority spent money it had in savings for the purchase and improvements. Bill said he’s appreciative that the sisters were receptive to the idea when he reached out. Without the partnership, the project couldn’t have happened, he said.
Now, the interiors of the apartments are essentially brand new, said Amanda Kamphuis, compliance manager with the Aberdeen Housing Authority.
Almost all of the plumbing, flooring and windows had to be replaced, she said. The electrical system needed some improvements and there were some leaks from the roof that needed attention, Bill said.
More work was needed than was expected, which is why it’s taken so much longer for the apartments to be ready, he said.
There are still apartment openings, Bill said, and he hopes they are filled quickly.
All of the units have either three or four bedrooms, and they are affordable rentals open to anybody, Kamphuis said. They are rented on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no income requirements, she said.
It can be especially hard to find three- and four-bedroom apartments in Aberdeen, Bill said.
There’s not much left of the motherhouse that used to be home to the Presentation Sisters’ convent. It is being converted into a green space, just one of the many changes on the former Presentation campus. Aberdeen Insider photo by Scott Waltman.
Rebirth after the closure of Presentation College
Presentation College closed in October 2023, and much of the campus is now being used by other entities.
The city bought the Strode Center gym and fitness center and the nearby dome that allows for indoor soccer and softball tournaments as well as winter activities. Aberdeen also owns nearby athletic fields, which will not be commercially developed. Improvements to the Strode and dome have been made.
That property transaction cost Aberdeen $1.75 million, not including upgrades.
St. Joseph Catholic Housing is converting the former Presentation East Suites near the Strode Center into 45 new apartments. Most of the units will be for tenants at or below 60% of the average median income, while others will be market-rate apartments.
It’s obvious progress has been made. While St. Joseph Catholic Housing’s mission is also helping to provide affordable housing, nobody from the organization could be reached for comment.
MORE: East Suites on former Presentation campus will be converted into apartments
The Presentation Sisters decided restoring the large motherhouse building on their Aberdeen property would be cost-prohibitive, so it’s being torn down and converted into an outdoor green space promoting tranquility and inner peace. It will have a connection to an 80-acre native prairie restoration area on the former campus.
Closing Presentation College was sad, Thomas said, but all that’s happened since is similar to the Paschal Mystery, a reference to the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ — the central event in Catholicism.
The sisters worked to close the college in a dignified way, she said, and want to honor its 70-year history.
She said the sisters are both pleased and proud to again make an investment in Aberdeen and hopes others see it as a blessing.
“A home is the heart of what creates stability in a community,” Thomas said.
Bill
To Bill, the creation of Sister Janice Klein Village is a common sense use of the former suites. The possibility of offering three- and four-bedroom apartments was especially intriguing given the demand, he said.
He said he visited with neighbors about the idea before making too many plans, which helped generate acceptance of the proposal. Those people appreciate that the suites are being remodeled and that a security system is being installed, he said.
A new sign at the entrance of the parking lot has helped with awareness, Bill said. People have also stopped by and asked questions while work has been done, Kamphuis said.
Adding 36 more apartments is significant for the Aberdeen Housing Authority staff, especially since the agency oversees 324 other rental units, including 25 single-family homes. Bill said many employees have taken on extra duties, but doesn’t want the staff to feel overwhelmed.
He said the aim is finishing up work at Klein Village and filling the apartments before worrying about the housing authority’s next project.
For more information, including about the prospect of renting, call the housing authority office at 605-226-2321 or visit the Sister Janice Klein Village website. The housing authority also has printed materials available.