BOSTON-Developers throughout the state are turning former churches into condominiums in a redevelopment effort that will put hundreds of new residences--many of them affordable--on the market in the next two years. In Norwood, a multimillion-dollar project is under way to convert St. George Church on St. James Street along with an adjacent a rectory and convent into 15 one- and two-bedroom condominium units, many of which will incorporate the church's stained glass windows.
"Its going to be a real challenge to turn a church into condos but at the same time, we'll benefit because we will have a lot of nice features, like the stained glass windows, hardwood floors and moldings and the original lights in place," says Charles Acton, project manager for Karsten Co. of East Weymouth, which bought the property for $1 million. Construction is expected to begin later this year with completion slated for the summer of 2007. The cost of the project has not yet been established and a selling price for the units hasn't been set.
In Chelsea, a developer with ties to Habitat for Humanity plans to invest $8 million to convert seven former church properties into condominium units. John Judge, the former director of Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, and Tom Truong, a member of the local Habitat board, purchased seven Chelsea properties for $2.3 million from the Archdiocese of Boston last month. They plan to turn them into affordable housing with the average cost of about $240,000 per unit.
"There's a big need in Chelsea for home ownership," says Truong, noting that only 23% of the city's residents own their own homes. Truong says the 65 to 80 condos the pair will develop over the next two to three years could help turn Chelsea's housing numbers. The condos, which will maintain much of the interior's architectural detail, will range from studio to three-bedroom units.
The properties include Our Lady of Assumption Church on Broadway, the church's school, convent, and rectory along with the former school and convent of St. Stanislaus Parish on Chestnut Street and the former convent belonging to St. Rose of Lima Parish on Tudor Street. The properties are among dozens of church buildings put on the market by the Archdiocese of Boston in the last 18 months.
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