Business & Tech
Apartment Seekers Flock to Church Conversions
Church-converted-condo's are all the rage
On a recent January day, renovations were underway at the historic Strong Place Baptist Church in Cobble Hill. Construction-related objects and equipment, a wheelbarrow and multiple plastic garbage containers, sat outside the building.
But the 19th-century neighborhood church at 58 Strong Place wasn’t getting new pews or an altar. In a couple of months, people will be living inside.
If you missed the long advertising banner hanging down one side, Strong Place Baptist Church is now The Landmark at Strong Place, a new 23-unit residential building -- the latest church-to-condo-conversion in Brooklyn. It became available in December and already 10 condos have been sold, said Saul Retig of Brooklyn Bridge Realty.
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According to Retig, kitchens and baths have been added to the apartments, as well as a gym and yoga room in the basement. When we visited The Landmark for a tour, the building had been 95 percent renovated.
“The developer wanted to have all of his ducks lined up pretty well,” Retig says. “He didn’t want to put it on the market when it really wasn’t ready to be shown. And his strategy worked. It’s just not that strategy -- it’s a great design.”
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The idea of turning the old church, which was falling apart, says Retig, into a condominium, came to fruition about five years ago. According to the project's Web site, the condos consists of 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet. Prices are from $990,000 to $2.1 million. Nearly all of the condos come with a master and guest bathroom along with a terrace and white oak floors.
“It’s basically a little bit of the old in terms of the actual structure with the new in terms of the inside,” said Retig. “The door spaces can’t be seen from the outside, so its designed in such a way that somebody could enjoy their private patios but they can’t be seen from the street.”
The Landmark joins other church-converted-condos in the area including 360 Court St., right across from Carroll Park, 450 Clinton Street, which is the old Norwegian Seamen's Church and the Arches at Cobble Hill, at 401 Hicks St.
Formerly St. Peter’s Church and built in the 1850s, The Arches was converted to condos in 2004. One of the Arches' first tenants are husband-and-wife Troy and Karina Sonowski, who live in a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom unit with a view of the city. They were previously renters in Manhattan until their real estate agent pointed them to an open house for the Arches. (A 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom unit at the Arches that is currently advertised through Citi Habitats goes for $925,000).
“I thought it was a cool and novel approach to modern living, while sustaining the integrity of the neighborhood and the landmark buildings that make up Cobble Hill,” said Karina Snonowski. “It was more intriguing to me.”
Troy Sonowski admits he has gotten strange looks from people when he tells them his home is a former church.
“Some ask if I am superstitious about living in a church. But usually once they come see the place they understand it was converted tastefully and a beautiful place to live.”
And these church-to-condo-conversion's are popular. State Senator Daniel L. Squadron of the 25th District has lived in a church-converted-condo in Carroll Gardens for about five years.
“It is untraditional,” he said. “But it’s extraordinary to come home everyday to such a dramatic space.”
Because the architecture is unique, church properties usually tend to be listed at a higher price, said Rosemarie Ceraso, a Fort Greene-based broker for the Corcoran Group. Cesaro sold a unit at Cathedral Condominiums, formerly known as Cathedral Prep, in Clinton Hill.
“If they are priced correctly and done nicely, they tend to sell very quickly,” she said.
But why are there so many conversions? Just as the condos at The Landmark became available for buyers last month, the Brooklyn Diocese announced the termination of additional churches. When asked about church-to-condo-conversions, the Diocese said many of its parishes are under appraisal for their economic feasibility.
“The closing of any church is painful, especially for those who attend mass and pray there,” says the statement.
"Unfortunately, there will be more closings and mergers in the months ahead.”
While no longer places of worship, the conversions, in a way, preserve the buildings.
“It increases the restoration of that particular building and increases the property values in the area overall,” she said. “Anyone who lives in this area where it’s so historically beautiful would prefer to see something historical retained...versus being run down or just sitting there as an old building, or being knocked down with a new development.”
Retig says the history of the church drew people to a open house at the converted church.
“During that community open house, there were a lot of people who actually worshipped in the church -- people who were married here like 50 years ago. They brought up memories and nostalgia and they did appreciate how we kept some of the original detail -- some of the pews, the woodwork and the actual bell on the premises. And they did like how it was renovated.”
The Sonowskis certainly appreciate the church and love the way that it was renovated.
“The fact that it was a church was definitely a part of our purchasing decision,” said Karina Sonowski, “The beautiful restoration of the original exterior and the layouts and finishes of the brand new condos inside were also part of the equation.”
As for the units that he is selling at The Landmark, Retig thinks that within a month the remaining units will be gone. All of the three bedroom units have been sold, he said.
“Everything has been selling at the asking price. There’s been such demand. People have been asking to combine some units too.”