The University has completed the purchase of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) and the McCormick Theological Seminary (MTS) campuses. The agreement between the University and the two schools was first announced in May 2022 and was officially completed on March 9, according to University spokesperson Gerald McSwiggan.

The 3.5-acre property is located on the block bounded by East 55th Street, East 54th Place, South Greenwood Avenue, and South University Avenue, which is across the street from Campus North Residential Commons. The buildings currently on the property include approximately 172,000 gross square feet of space.

The University did not announce exact plans for the site, but the University said the purchase was not related to residential planning.

“Although a specific long-term use has not been finalized, the University anticipates the adaptive reuse of the buildings that will support its educational and research mission,” McSwiggan said in a statement to The Maroon.

In the May 2022 announcement, the University said LSTC and MTS would have the right to lease the space from the University for a “limited period of time.” The agreement also said the University would allow students and faculty of the two institutions to utilize the University’s shuttle services and dining halls.

LSTC was established in 1962, when four separate theological schools were consolidated into one. The school opened its Hyde Park campus in 1967. LSTC announced that they would move from their 55th Street campus to the Catholic Theological Union, located on 54th Street and South Cornell Avenue, this summer.

“This move is a pivotal moment in our history as we position our school to be a thriving global seminary that forms leaders sent into the world,” LSTC President James Nieman said in a video posted on the LSTC website. “Our school will be on stronger financial footing, able to invest in strategic areas while opening the door for innovation and growth.”

MTS was founded in 1829. In 1974, the school moved from its Lincoln Park campus to Hyde Park due to declining enrollment and difficulty of maintenance.

“We look forward to exploring new avenues of engagement and cooperation with LSTC and the University, and especially look forward to working with our wider McCormick community as we continue to transform and prepare for our third century of service to the church and the community,” MTS President David Crawford told UChicago News in May.