Thursday, April 23, 2015
Chondos?
Get Religion discusses an attempt to repurpose urban 'mainline' church buildings now that the churches have turned to Satan and repelled their Christian members. Some of these buildings occupy high-value locations, which inspires developers to consider turning them into condos. Not an easy job because of enviro shit about asbestos and Brownfields. The buildings that would be worth preserving tend to have Historical District restrictions that make them un-convertible. This leaves some of them in a limbo of high "implied value" but no real value. Trading churches, not worshipping churches.
Made me think ... Several of the church buildings around here already have sections that would convert quickly to apts.
Driscoll Baptist, a simple but graceful late-50s design like most of this neighborhood, has an office and classroom wing that looks just like a late-50s apt:
St Charles Catholic, a wild modernistic Eero Saarinen-tyype deesiign, has a coonveent seection that looks like a motel or apts; and as a convent, it's already residential in character. (Doesn't show very well on this Streetview; up close it could pass for a Patel.)
These would be comparatively cheap to convert. No Historical crap or Brownfield crap, buildings kept up to date. But these churches are NOT going the same way as urban churches. Both are tremendously active. And this area is properly valued, so there's no pressure from developers anyway. No fake value to arbitrage. It's just a calm safe place where ordinary people can afford to live a good ordinary life.
Real values = real value.
¶ 4:28 PM 
St Charles Catholic, a wild modernistic Eero Saarinen-tyype deesiign, has a coonveent seection that looks like a motel or apts; and as a convent, it's already residential in character. (Doesn't show very well on this Streetview; up close it could pass for a Patel.)
These would be comparatively cheap to convert. No Historical crap or Brownfield crap, buildings kept up to date. But these churches are NOT going the same way as urban churches. Both are tremendously active. And this area is properly valued, so there's no pressure from developers anyway. No fake value to arbitrage. It's just a calm safe place where ordinary people can afford to live a good ordinary life.
Real values = real value.
¶ 4:28 PM
