By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Students at the Aquinas Institute of Theology at Saint Louis University will start spring semester Tuesday in a new building.
Workers rehabbed an old adding machine factory in Midtown to accommodate the school. The new building will give the Institute's 300-plus students nearly three times as much space.
Aquinas President Father Charles Bouchard says the original plans for the building were meant to reflect the institute's mission. "From a church perspective, it's important because just like the old building has been adapted to a new use, we're trying to say that we're taking traditional theology and adapting it to the questions people really have today," he said.
Bouchard says the building is the first part of a $50 million rehab project that will eventually include 200 residential units.
The building is at Forest Park & Spring Avenues. The Institute will hold two open houses on January 25 & February 1.
The building was originally built in 1902 as the Standard Adding Machine Company, according to Bouchard. "They made some important innovations here. One of which was moving from the 89-key to the 10-key adding machine," he added.
More recently there was a sign factory in the building, but it later fell into disrepair.
For more information on the new building, click here.