Elouiseotter OP t1_j4798gr wrote on January 13, 2023 at 5:33 PM

Reply to comment by GargantuanWitch in St. Joseph's Church in Bloomfield could close in the near future by Elouiseotter

Old churches have been transformed into other uses that don’t use public funds. Church Brew Works is a great example.

GargantuanWitch t1_j47a4wx wrote on January 13, 2023 at 5:38 PM

Then it's incumbent upon the owners of the building to get it into a condition where it can sell to someone else who will use the property. Church Brew Works came about because someone purchased the building and poured money into it to turn it into what it is today. It didn't happen by accident.

If they're closing because they can't fund almost $2M in renovations, it's not likely that they're gonna throw on a fresh coat of paint before the For Sale sign goes up. So the responsible thing to do would be demolition, instead of letting it sit there, rot, and become an eyesore that Bloomfield needs to deal with.

Elouiseotter OP t1_j47c37r wrote on January 13, 2023 at 5:50 PM

Have you ever looked at real estate for sale? There are plenty of buildings that are sold ‘As is’ all the time. Whoever buys the building then pays for the renovations to meet their needs. It would be foolish to demolish this church on a whim.

KentuckYSnow t1_j47mja0 wrote on January 13, 2023 at 6:54 PM

Oh man, church brew works sucks so hard these days. Such a great idea and space, so run down and poorly executed

chuckie512 t1_j48vgun wrote on January 13, 2023 at 11:40 PM

Who do you expect will buy the building, and have the million dollars in capital for it's repairs? New restaurants don't tend to have that kind of money to spare after their other startup costs.

It'd be one thing if the building was in good condition and closed due to lack of attendance alone, but being realistic here, it's going to sit vacant until a developer buys it to tear it down.

Elouiseotter OP t1_j4bdija wrote on January 14, 2023 at 2:36 PM

Have you looked up all the churches that have been repurposed in the Pittsburgh area? Church Brew Works, This is Red, The Dragon’s Den, Mary’s Vine and Matthew’s Lofts are all churches that have been transformed into business or living spaces. I highly doubt all of those buildings were sold in pristine condition without renovations.