Houses of worship flood market
DETROIT — It's a buyer's market for believers in metro Detroit.
Even before this month's announcement of upcoming Catholic Church closings, the Archdiocese of Detroit had several churches up for sale from a previous round of shutdowns.
There are also dozens of schools, convents and rectories up for sale or lease — and the prospect of 48 more parishes in Detroit and the suburbs coming on the market in the next five years.
In Detroit, in particular, the possibility of a dozen or more Catholic Church closings looms as another large wound to the city's ravaged landscape. Some of the churches that are threatened are historic, skyline-defining landmarks — cavernous works of Old World artisanship that would be difficult to resell, experts have said.
“You can trace the city's history and ethnic migrations by where the churches are. Historic buildings give a sense of place and make the city familiar,” said William Worden, the retired head of the city's historic designation advisory office. “Churches do that because they are striking structures and different from their surroundings.”
Worden said he worries that several Detroit churches recommended for closure are nationally recognized historic treasures. In particular, he cites three downtown Detroit churches — St. Joseph, Sweetest Heart of Mary and St. Josaphat — that were tentatively advised to work toward a merger and the closure of one of the three churches.
“We're beginning to see some pretty important historic structures under threat of closure,” said Worden. “All three are on the National Register of Historic Places, and St. Joseph is listed as one of National Significance. How do you select among three important buildings?”
When the Archdiocese of Detroit needs to sell property it turns to the firm of Real Estate Professional Services, with offices in Utica and Southfield, Mich. The firm has listings for more than 50 churches in metro Detroit alone and 20 elsewhere in Michigan of all denominations.
The firm is run by brothers Michael and Kevin Messier, brokers who learned the business from their father, Richard, now living in Florida with a third brother, Matthew, who sells churches there. The brothers say they do about 70 percent of the church business in Michigan.
“If you're a church congregation, you can afford to be a little choosy,” said Michael Messier.Although it's a buyer's market, it's tough to get a mortgage, brokers say.“Before the recession, probably nine out of every 10 church sales were financed through some kind of lender — whether it's Chase or Comerica or their denominational headquarters,” said Michael Messier. “Now, nine out of 10 are seller-financed, either through a land contract or a seller-financed mortgage because banks won't. And if you've got to sell your properties, that's how you do it.”Last year, the pair sold 41 churches — 38 were land contracts, meaning the buyers paid the sellers directly on a payment system; two were for cash, and one was bank-financed.“That tells you everything,” said Kevin Messier.He said churches are selling for 50 percent less than before the recession.Michael Messier says most congregations want buildings that seat 300- 450 people. “There are fewer buyers for 1,600-seat churches,” he said.Many churches in Detroit and the suburbs, were built during the city's heyday and boom times, and they are of the large variety. That holds true, especially, for some of the city's landmark Catholic churches.The costs for maintaining a large, historic edifice can be budget-busting. During a previous round of church closings, St. Agnes Catholic Church, at 14th and LaSalle Gardens just west of Henry Ford Hospital, absorbed a neighboring parish to become Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church. Martyrs of Uganda closed in 2006, when the parish decided it couldn't bear maintenance costs of the church.The Gothic church was built in 1924, and it's where Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited when she came to Detroit in 1979 and established a Missionaries of Charity convent there. Now, the old parish's buildings are a looted, vandalized eyesore. Archdiocese spokesman Ned McGrath said the archdiocese's first preference is to sell churches to a religious denomination, but sold St. Agnes to an entity that never occupied the building.
