NewHavenBIZ

n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | M a r c h 2 0 2 1 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 15 TL_Recognition_NHB_10x6-75_022221_final.indd 1 2/22/21 3:07 PM to be dealt recently is St. Brendan's on Whalley Avenue in New Haven. e principal property, including the school and rectory, was sold three years ago for $1.5 million to Yeshivas Beis Dovid Shlomo, a Chabad rabbinic school located for decades at 292 Norton St. Connery cites this as an excellent example of "repurposing" a former Catholic Church property. In addition, the St. Aedan/St. Brendan convent at 349 McKinley Ave. in New Haven is slated to be sold to Capital Partners, which last October was granted zoning relief to convert what was once 20 living units for nuns into nine condos. New apartments Among the most significant recent church transactions involved not a Catholic Church, but the Church of the Redeemer on Whitney Avenue in New Haven. e United Church of Christ is among the most progressive Protestant denominations in the Northeast; its ever- more secular membership has been in long-term decline. Two years ago the church's congregation decided to merge with Spring Glen Church in Hamden and sell the historic Federal-style building. Pearce's Melillo brokered the sale to MOD Equities, whose principals — Jacob 575 Whitney Ave New Haven 19,147 $1,680,000 1957 65 Burban Dr Branford 13,828 $900,000 1972 1750 Huckins Rd Cheshire 12,877 $850,000 1969 5100 Ridge Rd North Haven 5,040 $700,000 1981 513 Meriden Rd Waterbury 10,832 $695,000 1945 786 Dixwell Ave (Part of Multi-Property Sale) New Haven 13,772 $466,153 1922 494 Milford Point Rd Milford 3,144 $400,000 1980 164 S Whittlesey Ave Wallingford 4,770 $325,000 1911 55 Church St Meriden 12,262 $275,000 Address City Building sq. ft. Sale price Year built Source: CoStar Top Greater New Haven church property sales Here's a list of the top 9 real estate deals in Greater New Haven since 2019 involving religious buildings. and Josef Feldman — are converting the property into 24 market-rate apartments. "[e congregation] couldn't maintain and support the property any more, so they decided to put it on the market," Melillo explains. Both the congregation and the neighborhood had "a lot of emotional attachment to the property — a beautiful building, beautiful sanctuary. ey were very accommodating to social agencies and [nonprofit] groups, allowing them to use the building; and they wanted the future use to be something they could be proud of." ere were multiple bidders for the Whitney Avenue property, most of whom eyed conversion to residential use in what had become the city's more desirable — and expensive — neighborhood. "One of the things that made the seller happy is that [MOD Equities] pledged to preserve the exterior of the building. It's a good fit for the neighborhood," Melillo said. ough the trend of church closings will doubtless continue, many involved in the sale of former religious properties express regret at seeing them retired from their original spiritual mission. "It's kind of a sad thing to see these magnificent buildings [repurposed]," says Melillo. "ese parishioners had a deep- seeded attachment to the properties over generations — from first communions to marriages to funerals. And closing [many of ] these was not easy for the parishes." n St. Michael's sold off a trio of properties (including the one above) at 234, 240 and 250 Greene St. for $1.2 million in April 2019.

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