-
The St. Austin Catholic Parish and School project serves as a model for stewards of church land. The parish faced maintenance challenges. Its facilities were showing signs of age and were poorly adapted to their current uses. Thanks to a partnership with a third-party developer, the parish was able to finance a new state-of-the-art facility. At the same time, it was able to create a revenue stream for itself, for the city of Austin, Texas, and for the diocese as a whole.
-
Located in Tampa, Florida, Metro 510 diversifies the city’s downtown housing stock while restoring an area landmark. The development’s 120 units provide much-needed affordable housing in the urban core, and the adaptive reuse of the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church creates a dynamic community center. Located close to the Marion Transit Center and employment centers in downtown Tampa, the project aims to reduce the high housing and transportation costs that Tampa residents face. The Metro 510 project has won several local awards for excellence and was also a 2012 finalist for Affordable Housing Financemagazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
-
The story begins with a backyard garden tended by Catholic laypeople in Dayton, Ohio. Fueled by faith and determination, the Mission of Mary Cooperative (MMC) has evolved into a nonprofit urban farm and education program, showcasing a viable, mission-aligned use of formerly underused property.
MMC faced significant challenges along its journey. From navigating land acquisition hurdles and zoning regulations to fostering community engagement, the journey was difficult.
Today, MMC stands as a beacon of hope and transformation. On four acres of formerly vacant urban land, the cooperative cultivates fresh produce and educates the community. MMC’s annual yield of 65,000 pounds of food not only nourishes bodies but also nourishes spirits.
-
Built in 1909 as the original location of Sinai Temple, the Pico Union Project is the oldest synagogue building in Los Angeles. When the Sinai community moved to Beverly Hills, the building became home to a Welsh Presbyterian congregation. By 2012, after lovingly maintaining the building for 88 years, the shrinking congregation approached the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California to return the building to the Jewish community. The Jewish Historical Society turned to prominent Jewish musician Craig Taubman, who together with his wife Louise, purchased the building as a home for the Pico Union Project. . . .
-
Faced with dwindling membership in one of the city’s fastest-growing neighborhoods, a south Charlotte church changed its name, sold its land, and tore down its iconic steeple. The audacious plan divided families and drove away a fourth of the congregation. But could it become a model for the modern church?
