Church’s MOD Conversion Redeemed

Plans to convert a recently closed East Rock church into 24 market-rate apartments won a key city sign-off along with promises from the developer to preserve the Federal-style landmark’s exterior as well as its interior columns, windows, and vaulted ceilings.

The City Plan Commission granted that unanimous site plan approval Wednesday night during its regular monthly meeting on the ground floor of the municipal office building at 200 Orange St.

Commissioners heard from Jacob Feldman, one half of the locally-based MOD Equities development firm, along with local attorney Gregory Muccilli and engineer Doug Rich about MOD’s planned residential conversion of the Church of the Redeemer site at 575 Whitney Ave.

“The proposed development will preserve the exterior of the church while providing for a high intensity residential use in an area that is already largely residential,” Muccilli said.

“We’re trying very, very hard to maintain the beautiful features in the interior of the building” as well, Feldman said.

Muccilli said that the project will convert the former church’s sanctuary and parish house into 24 market-rate apartments: one studio, 10 one-bedrooms, 10 two-bedrooms, and three three-bedrooms. Five of those one-bedroom apartments will be on a newly built second floor in the former church’s sanctuary, and will have loft-style mezzanines accessible via an interior spiral staircase.

The converted basement will house a gym, a lounge, and interior vertical bike racks that can accommodate up to 24 bicycles.

Muccilli said the only planned change to the exterior of the property will be the construction of a 23-space parking lot behind the existing church buildings. The front entrance will remain the same, and a second entrance will be added to the back, facing the parking lot.

The oldest part of the church is its former parish house, which was built in 1922. It included offices, an auditorium, a gym, and a kitchen. Construction on the sanctuary began in 1949 and that building first opened its doors in 1951.

Muccilli said that the church housed various congregations up until mid-2018, when the United Church of Christ-affiliated congregation decided to sell the building and disperse its members to the UCC’s Spring Glen Church in Hamden and the First Presbyterian Church in New Haven.

“MOD believes that its residents will be made up of students and empty nesters alike,” he said about whom the developers expect to attract to the planned new market-rate apartments.

In addition to asking a slew of technical questions about the planned new development’s stormwater management systems and anticipated traffic flow, several of the commissioners lamented the loss of the building’s use as a place of worship and encouraged Feldman to try to preserve as many of the interior architectural elements as possible.

Westville Alder and City Plan Commissioner Adam Marchand said he used to sing in a choir that rehearsed at Church of the Redeemer. He noted that many churches in the city have been converted into apartments over the years as church membership has declined.

“Part of me wishes they could stay churches,” he said. ​“But you can’t make people go to church.”

He praised the beauty of the Redeemer’s columns and windows and ceiling. ​“I hope that you’re able to incorporate a lot of those interior features,” he said to Feldman.

City Plan Commission Chair Ed Mattison said that all three of his children attended the co-op daycare formerly housed at the church. ​“It was a beautiful place,” he said.

“This seems like a very good reuse of the building,” he added.

Commission Alternate Jonathan Wharton also singled out the building’s windows for praise, and noted the exceptional quality of light the building lets in thanks to the windows and thanks to not having any trees positioned directly in front of it. ​“It’s rare to get that kind of sun,” he said.

“That’s definitely the goal of the project,” Feldman said, ​“to try and maintain this beautiful building so that people can continue to enjoy those details. You can’t recreate stuff like this today.”