Church Conversion

 

Time period: 1980s to present
Location: Older cities, especially in the Northeast and Midwest

A way to preserve historic churches.

Key features
- Main entrance of church is preserved, interior spaces are divided up into apartments or condos.
- Works best with large units, as standard compact apartment plans rarely fit efficiently into existing layout of a church building.

While organized religion remains popular in the United States, the location and type of buildings has changed over the years. Today's biggest churches are suburban megachurches, located in the middle of mall-sized parking lots, attracting members from across an entire metropolitan area by car. 

In contrast, many of the larger churches in major cities, which once served dense immigrant communities in the late 19th century and early 20th century, now find themselves in neighborhoods that are less dense and less religious. Buildings that used to serve hundreds of people every Sunday now only have a couple dozen people showing up. At a certain point, the congregation can no longer afford to maintain such a large building, and moves to a smaller building.

The question then comes up of what to do with the old building. These buildings are neighborhood landmarks, and neighbors and governments often want to see them preserved. A church's second life can take many forms - use by a different congregation, office or community space, or housing.

Smaller churches are about the size of a large house, and conversions turn them into one.  Larger urban churches are about the size and shape of a 3-5 story apartment building. Converting one requires more work, the payoff is in unique homes that feature high ceilings and more elaborate decoration than a standard apartment building. 

In many places, it's a rare opportunity to create multifamily housing in single family zones, as churches are typically allowed in all zones, even those that only allow detached houses. While a church to condo conversion in a single family zone still requires a zoning variance, it's politically easier to get one when the project is about preserving a local landmark, vs. building a new building.

Still, it's expensive. The work involves building a new building inside an old building. New floors need to be built to divide the main hall into apartments. Stairs, elevators, plumbing, and electrical wiring needs to be added. Walls and roofs need to be insulated.

Getting these projects to make financial sense may require subsidies - whether it's a discounted sale of the land, or historic preservation tax incentives. Sometimes, the roof is removed to add additional floors. Fewer changes are made to the main entrance facade, while changes to the sides, rear, and roof are larger.

Data
- Density: 10-30 units/acre
- Typical Lot Size: Varies
- Typical Zoning: Varies
- Construction Type: Varies
- Resident Type: Varies.

Where to build 
- Churches in cities where total churchgoing population has declined significantly from its peak.
- Historic neighborhoods where there is a market for unique homes.

For churches and other religious organizations that are still thriving, a related type of housing development is known as YIGBY - "Yes in God's Back Yard", where the church builds affordable housing as part of their charitable mission. In this situation, typically a church will continue using its main building for religious purposes, while replacing parking lots, yards, and auxiliary buildings with apartments.

Further Reading

Research on conversions in New York and Pittsburgh https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D8057P4G

Examples in Chicago https://achicagosojourn.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/church-conversions/

Example with floorplans of a larger church converted to housing in Chicago https://chicagoyimby.com/2022/10/new-permits-issued-for-residential-conversion-of-st-boniface-church-in-west-town.html

Example with floorplans of a mid-sized church conversion in New York https://ny.curbed.com/2018/2/13/17008730/257-washington-avenue-clinton-hill-condo-conversion

Examples in DC https://dc.curbed.com/maps/church-conversion-dc-washington-map

News on efforts in California to build housing on religious organization land https://yigby.org/news/

Press release on SB4, a 2023 California YIGBY bill https://nonprofithousing.org/press-release-sen-wiener-intros-yigby-housing-legislation-to-allow-religious-institutions-nonprofit-colleges-to-build-affordable-housing-on-their-land/

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