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MINNEAPOLIS, MN - May 16, 2005 - The redevelopment of a former maternity hospital in north Minneapolis will receive grant funding and national recognition through a partnership between Home & Garden Television (HGTV) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Restore America: A Salute to Preservation will provide $60,000 for the project and create a one-minute public service announcement to be broadcast for one month during HGTV's Restore America program. Filming will take place at the site on June 21.

The Ripley Gardens redevelopment is being led by Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT), a Twin Cities-based nonprofit housing provider. The project will preserve the Ripley Memorial Hospital site on Penn and Glenwood avenues in Minneapolis while creating 60 units of rental and for-sale housing for residents earning low and moderate incomes.

The Ripley Maternity Hospital was founded in 1886 by Dr. Martha Ripley, one of the nation's first female doctors. For decades, the women-run hospital challenged traditions of medicine, ethnic divisions, and the role of women in society. It closed in 1956 due to financial constraints and the site became a nursing home.

"The funding and recognition provided by the Restore America initiative will help make this project a reality," says Gina Ciganik, Director of Special Projects for Central Community Housing Trust. "This project is an opportunity to both preserve a historic gem and help revitalize a challenged neighborhood. Creating quality housing on this site will serve the needs of the community today while honoring the rich legacy of caring left by Dr. Martha Ripley."

Ciganik says CCHT is hoping to raise the final $1 million of the $15 million total development cost from private sources. CCHT expects to begin construction this summer.

The former hospital's long history in Minneapolis has prompted CCHT to collect stories about Dr. Ripley and the hospital to supplement its own research. Community members are invited to share their memories via CCHT's website at www.ccht.org. The stories will be compiled, along with the historic research completed by CCHT, and will reside at Ripley Gardens.

Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT) is an award-winning nonprofit developer of quality housing for the Twin Cities Metro Area, providing homes for more than 2,000 people annually. Since 1986, CCHT has built and renovated 24 properties, totaling 1,252 units of housing. Its mission is to create and sustain quality affordable housing that strengthens lives and communities.

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