The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is working with private developer Michaels Organization to repurpose 26 church properties throughout the Philadelphia region, writes Ryan Mulligan for the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Many of the properties that are intended for conversion sit in prime locations, including Center City. The Diocese plans to make them into residential along with other adaptive reuse projects. These efforts could result in more than 1,000 new units across Philadelphia and its four collar counties, according to Milton Pratt, executive vice president of development at the Michaels Organization.
The 26 properties have not been publicly disclosed yet.
The initiative continues the Diocese’s push to maximize its underused properties. In a separate project, St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Point Breeze is being converted into 33 residential units, while the nearby Shiloh Baptist Church is being turned into 87 units. Meanwhile, St. John’s Baptist Church is also being transformed into 26 units.
With 136 congregations across Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is focusing on sites where regular operations have ended and the underused property could be developed. In many cases, the smaller congregations can potentially be consolidated.
Read more about the Episcopal Diocese’s plan to redevelop various churches throughout the region in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
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