Members of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church met with developers and architects Monday evening to discuss the possibility of developing the church parking lot into an apartment building.
Silverstone Partners Inc. has designed the La Estrella Apartments project to be financed with the assistance of some tax credits.
This would allow the creation of ""high quality housing with an affordable rental rate,"" according to Tom Sather, a member of the project development team.
Knothe & Bruce Architects will design the 46-unit project and plan to have the building include five floors of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The fifth floor will house a community room and rooftop terrace.
""We also plan to sit down with neighborhood leaders to get input and feedback,"" said Randy Bruce, another member of the development team.
Mark Landgraf, who brought the idea for the project to the church, said his vision is of a place where people can live and worship on the same site.
Members of the parish expressed concern over the project, especially regarding loss of parking and the overall effect on parish life due to noise level and other possible disturbances.
The plan calls for the parish to retain title to the land being used while receiving income from the developers on a yearly basis. After approximately 33 years, the developer will donate the apartment to the church, free of debt.
Pending approval, construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2010 with an opening in fall of 2011. Housing will not be open to students, but project coordinators did not offer further details.
—Grace Urban
