Charlotte NC Real Estate News

in a house of God In a twist on conversion trend, old churches becoming prospects for residential development Converting a former house of worship to a secular use might make some people a little antsy.

When people move to the suburbs, their churches often follow, leaving vacant buildings to be recycled.

Over the years, Charlotte has seen sanctuaries converted to offices, restaurants and arts facilities. But these days more buyers are asking about their potential as residences.

"We've got three churches and a church-related property listed right now, and we're getting ready to list another one," said commercial real estate broker John Jones of Gibson Smith Realty.

On one of those listings -- not far from the center city -- someone has floated the possibility of a residential conversion, he said.

Nationwide, in areas where the housing supply is tight, buying old churches to make into apartments or condos is a hot trend. In the Charlotte area, where outlying land is available for residential development, such conversions haven't taken off as quickly. But the trend could become the next big thing as suburbanites continue to seek homes near the urban core.

About two years ago, developer Ed Harris of Harris Associates converted a small Episcopal church in Davidson into a single-family residence, which is now occupied.

"It was in a residential neighborhood -- it was a slam-dunk," he said. "The neighbors wanted to see the church preserved. The only other choice would have been to demolish it and build three or four new homes there."

Churches "have great alternative uses," Harris said. "The volume of space you get, the light you get, makes them great residences -- if you can make it work."

He also converted a church near the Charlotte-Mecklenburg government center to offices several years ago.

Also uptown, the former First Baptist Church building was transformed into Spirit Square arts center, and the burned-out shell of the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church became the McColl Center for Visual Art.

In Dilworth, the original home of Dilworth United Methodist Church at Cleveland and Worthington avenues was refurbished in 1999 for Bonterra, a restaurant and wine bar.

Since most churches are in areas zoned for single-family development, alternative users usually must apply for a rezoning.

Keith MacVean the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission's zoning administrator, said his department would encourage preservation and would "work with any owner of an old church who wants to reuse it."

Preservation angle

Saving a historic center city church is a top priority right now with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission.The commission wants to buy and find a new use for the century-old Grace AME Zion Church at 219 S. Brevard St., but the tiny site and lack of sufficient parking are a challenge, said Dan Morrill, the commission's consulting director. The building has a little over 4,000 square feet of heated space and sits on just over 12,000 square feet of land.

"We are going to have to think imaginatively and creatively about what to do," Morrill said.

The church is on the same block as developer Pete Verna's planned The Park, a high-rise condominium project. But Morrill believes the old building likely will be refurbished as a meeting or assembly facility, offices or perhaps a restaurant.

The county commission has approved an $800,000 loan to the landmarks commission to use -- if needed -- toward the $1.575 million purchase.

Once the congregation moves out, the landmarks commission, which has the building under contract, wants to resell it to someone who would abide by its preservation criteria.

Prospects

An old church that went on the market for $850,000 in Plaza-Midwood last year appears closer to a sale.

Several would-be buyers have looked recently at the vacant 6,000-square-foot building on the corner of Central Avenue and Hawthorne Lane , said real estate broker John Nichols of The Nichols Co.

"Everyone we've talked to is interested in keeping the building because it is built so close to the street," he said. "We did have one group this past month that was looking at converting it to residential condos."

Nichols also sees the church, built around 1910, as a prime place for a "cool restaurant -- it would be an icon on that prominent corner."

The congregation of what's now Central United Methodist Church outgrew it and moved about 35 years ago to a new building on Albemarle Road .

The old building -- stained-glass windows intact -- was occupied most recently by Reflection Sound Studios.

Real estate broker Jones said one of his recent listings is a red brick church with a ceiling in the shape of Noah's Ark at Grandin Road and West Fourth Street near uptown.

The congregation of Greater Bethel AME Church of Charlotte, which plans to relocate, is offering the 14,000 square-foot-complex for sale at $947,000 in an area where residential development is on the upswing.

The price comes to about $68 per square foot, compared with more than $300 a square foot for an uptown high-rise condo.

By spending a little more money to supplement the church purchase with renovations, a buyer could "make it something super," Jones said.

Holy History Overwhelming?

Converting a former house of worship to a secular use might make some people a little antsy.

Real estate brokers try to put potential buyers as ease by getting them to think of a vacant church as simply an empty building once the congregation has moved out.

"You have to look at it as machine -- a machine with roofing, plumbing and an electrical system to be maintained," said John Jones of Gibson Smith Realty Co.

Also, he said, he regards old churches as "a piece of history." They're often rich in craftsmanship, design and character.

That -- plus location -- typically makes them attractive candidates for adaptive reuse. In most cases, older churches that go up for sale are in neighborhoods with good visibility and accessibility.

Got, Alotta, Charlotte!

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