How grassroots organizers beat out commercial bidders, and overcame zoning hurdles to redevelop Catholic church into affordable housing.
It seems every week we hear about some Catholic Archdiocese selling its churches or schools. But what happens to those properties? WBUR's Monica Brady-Myerov revisits the neighborhood of Jamaica Plain which purchased Blessed Sacrament Church. The local community development corporation is now building a four-story co-housing complex inside the ten-story church.
"Taking a church and turning it into housing is a bit of a challenge," says Brian Goldson, of New Atlantic Development, the firm that is overseeing construction. "You ask the church what it wants to be and it tells you it wants to be a church, not a bunch of condos."
In addition to co-housing, below-market-rate condos are for sale in what used to be the church rectory. The convent will house formerly homeless people. Former parishoner Demaris Pimental supports a mix of housing. "It's not good to have only low-income (housing)," Pimental tells WBUR. "It's good to have a little bit of market value. And keeping that balance is a challenge for our neighborhood because gentrification will change that unique taste of diversity that Jamaica Plain has."
FULL STORY: As Construction Alters Closed Church, Jamaica Plain Builds Its Community

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