How It Started
2010
Bear Creek Church realized a number of Rochester area residents were living in substandard and unsafe housing. Starting in mobile home parks, the church started to repair homes at cost, with volunteer labor and at times even donated materials. Over the years dozens of homes were repaired and many lessons learned.
2016
Crossroads College, located in SW Rochester, closed its doors. About 1 year later (on a handshake agreement) Bear Creek Church started to convert the college into an affordable housing complex and non-profit center (now called Mayowood Acres).
2018
Bear Creek had formerly purchased the campus with the goal of serving individuals and families getting back on their feet. With a combination of very affordable rents, volunteerism, and donations, the campus was able to pay its bills and serve many, many people. Originally, there were 43 apartments on the campus, ranging from rooms to rent to 4BR units, along with commercial space.
2021
Bear Creek Church created a new, 501c-3, non-profit to own and operate the campus, Bear Creek Development Center. Furthermore, the former campus Library and Music Buildings were converted to 17 studio apartments. Learn more here.
2023
A former garage/storage building was turned into 6 studio apartments, dedicated to serving veterans in transition, called the Pentagon House Project. This project is a partnership with MAC-V, a non-profit whose mission is to end veteran homelessness.
2025
Bear Creek Christian Church continues to meet on the campus. There are now 66 apartments on the campus, as well as a thriving non-profit working with the recovery community (Doc’s Recovery House). In partnership with Three Rivers Community Action, construction has commenced on Restoration Glen, a new 48-unit LIHTC (low income housing tax credit) funded apartment building. Lease up for this building is planned for Fall, 2026.
Learn more about current apartment openings here.
The Pentagon House Project
Veteran homelessness is a pressing issue in our region. Such homelessness is caused by many unique veteran issues (such as PTSD), but also compounded by not-so-unique issues of drugs and alcohol. Vets service organization, MACV (whose mission is to end veteran homelessness in Minnesota) had a recent client list of over 50 veterans in SE Minnesota needing housing assistance of some sort. The Pentagon House project converted the Mayowood Acres shop into into 6 studio apartments in 2023. Nearly $200,000 was raised in community grants and donations towards the $450,000 renovation budget, leaving a mortgage of $250,000. Donations are still welcome to help eliminate this loan, the balance ($170K) of which which comes due in July, 2028.
MACV provides the case management to vets who are getting back on their feet. Your support will allow rents to stay affordable, serving people that make less than 50% of the area median income. To learn more, contact Jeff Urban (jeff@bcdcrochester.org) or call us at 507.258.4992. Click here for donation options.
Pentagon House In The News
Post-Bulletin Story
KIMT Story
KAAL Story
17 NEW Studio Apartments
Overview (finished, fall 2021)
6,300 sq/ft of college classrooms on the former Crossroads Campus (now called Mayowood Acres) was converted to 17-studio apartments. Rents are $600 (including utilities &internet), making the units affordable to folks just below 40% of the area median income (people making approx. $12/hr full-time). The units are transitional in nature, with tenants stays up to 2-years in most cases, while they finish education, employment training, or establish a solid employment record.
These units were built with generous donations and volunteerism, costing less than $45,000 unit ($750,000 total).
Major Gifts to Date: $136,000 forgivable grant from the Coalition for Rochester Area Housing; $35,000 grant from the Hanson Family Foundation; $10,000 gift from Bigelow Homes; $9,000 grant from the Rochester area Knights of Columbus; and many area businesses and individuals! A $500,000 low-interest gap loan from the Coalition helped finance the balance of the build-out.