WOONSOCKET – The former Sacred Heart Church at 415 Olo St. was recently sold for $510,000, as a local real estate and property management company moves ahead with plans to renovate the building and an adjoining rectory into 32 market-rate apartment units.
The Church of the Sacred Heart Woonsocket, an entity of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, sold the property to Belchikoo LLC, which is affiliated with the Pawtucket-based Nexus Property Management, according to a copy of the quitclaim deed. This comes after the property was first listed for sale for $575,000 earlier this year by real estate agency RE/MAX Commercial.
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Gregory Rice, Nexus Property Management’s general manager and vice president for franchise sales, said his company plans to construct the apartments within the existing 8,100-square-foot property. Rice said the project already received zoning approval from a city board earlier this year, and that the City Council approved a seven-year tax treaty allowing the apartment building to be exempt from property taxes within its first two years of operation, after which annual property taxes kick in at 20% in year three, increasing annually until the full tax bill is assessed by year eight.
The 32-unit project, spanning 15,000 square feet within the current church building and the attached rectory structure, is now waiting on final permitting from the city for construction. The project also needs a variance from the R.I. Rehabilitation Code Board, Rice said.
A groundbreaking should take place this year and construction will last about nine months, Rice said.
The sale of the church property came with deed restrictions barring Belchikoo from using the name “Sacred Heart” in the future operations of the property, while also barring the company from using the church building for uses that are contrary to the Catholic faith, specifically abortion, worship services for other religions, the sale of pornographic material, paranormal gatherings and gambling.
Any breaches of the deed restrictions, which are passed on to any heirs or transferees and can only be removed by the church, are enforceable through court action, including immediate injunctive relief that could stop any violations, according to the agreement. The deed restrictions state that this applies to the current church building, but that it wouldn’t apply to the property if the building is demolished, and any deed-restricted uses must be authorized through written permission from the Bishop of Providence.
The Warwick-based Bentley Builders is the general contractor for church renovation, Rice said, and Providence-based ZDS Architecture & Interior Design is the architect for the project.
The apartments will rely on the existing 100-space church parking lot located across the street, Rice said.
The brick property, constructed in 1920, saw its final Mass four years ago.
The Sacred Heart Church redevelopment plan has the support of Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, Rice said, along with other city officials.
The project is one of several renovations of former churches in Rhode Island that have been taking place recently, as the nonprofit ONE Neighborhood Builders remains in a predevelopment phase in its effort to turn the former St. Patrick’s Church in Cumberland into a 42-unit affordable/senior housing apartment complex called St. Patrick’s Place.
“We wanted to do this because there’s an increase in the amount of vacant churches, unfortunately, and there’s very limited uses,” Rice said. “Turning them into housing is a unique way to restore these properties and also contribute to the housing stock of Rhode Island, which is lacking overall. It’s really a win-win for the communities, for us and for the diocese, too.”
Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer.
