Holy Spirit Church in Asbury Park could be saved as arts space next to 90 apartments

ASBURY PARK - The owner of the former Holy Spirit Church has proposed a redevelopment plan that would save the 114-year-old gothic structure from the wrecking ball but turn the inside into a theater and arts space, and construct a six-story residential building with 90 apartments on Second Avenue.

The proposed redevelopment would include turning the inside of the church into "The Sacred Stage" which would include a 50-seat cafe, 10 artisan workspaces, and a stage complete with repurposed church pews for seating.

The developer, Mountain View Development, has had conversations with the Asbury Park Theater Company to make The Sacred Stage its permanent home.

The church, which shut down in 2021, is located on the northwestern corner of the intersection of Second Avenue and Bond Street, less than one mile from the Asbury Park boardwalk. Existing structures on the 1.1-acre lot include the two-story church, a three-story residential building (the rectory) and a detached brick garage.

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Under the new proposal, the basement/lower floor would include a 150-seat theater and 5,000 square feet of flexible office space. The upper floor of the church would be a performance space.

The proposed six-story "Crossroads Residential" building would be built where the church parking lot currently sits and consist of 75 market-rate and 15 affordable-housing units, with two stories of parking.

The upper parking level would include 64 spaces and the lower level for the church building would include 55 spaces.

The developer proposed 55 one-bedroom apartments, 32 two-bedroom units and 3 three-bedroom affordable units. Each two- or three-bedroom unit would get one reserved parking space, and the remaining 20 spaces would be available on a first-come/first-serve basis.

Special events would require coordination and the site could utilize valet and/or other parking management services to utilize off-site parking.

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Two previous redevelopment plans

Joseph Hanna, co-founder and president of Mountain View Development, initially wanted to build residential units inside the church structure, which would have included a public space featuring modern art from local artists, but the city rejected those plans.

Then he proposed tearing it down to be replaced by six single-family homes, only to be rejected by the planning board. He then filed suit.

On Oct. 31, 2023, a state court ruled to vacate the Asbury Park Planning Board's denial of the application and allow the developer's plan to build single-family homes, because it conformed with city ordinances, giving the board no legal reason to reject it.

In December, the city Planning Board voted 4-0 to authorize a resolution approving demolition the church in favor of six residential homes.

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Hanna and his planner John Baree presented the new redevelopment plan to the city council at the Feb. 14 meeting.

Baree said that the planning board application for six 6-bedroom residential homes "is the only thing that is currently permitted in that R-1 Zone where the church sits."

"The purpose of the meeting this evening is really to understand the path forward for how we can repurpose the church building, retain it as part of the fabric of the Asbury Park community," Baree said. "Our goal is to get guidance from the public, guidance from the council, get feedback on the plans that are being proposed."

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Parking worries

Following the presentation, the mayor and council questioned the developer and expressed various concerns over parking and details not included in the presentation, such as waste management and storage space.

"The main concern is the parking," said Bob Stevens, a resident of Second Avenue. "We've already got limited parking and there is (limited) activity at that site currently. We will now have a mini-complex really."

Carrie Turner, the executive director for the Asbury Park Arts Council, said the group "is very interested in the church being reused as an arts and culture center, but as we heard tonight this is very complex and not very straightforward."

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Brian O'Brien, a professional actor who lives in Asbury Park and a board member of the Asbury Park Theater Company, was eager to see the plan come to fruition.

"We find it to be very important that this opportunity may befall us, that we have a home, a space, that we can use," O'Brien said. "One of the great aspects of the Asbury Park Theater Company is our youth development programs. … We bring students from all around the county, but most importantly Asbury Park, to be a part of our summer programs."

He added the theater company is a nonprofit organization that would be able to raise money and help partner with the city for community outreach programs to enhance the arts.

Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn said "there is going to be give and take either way."

The developer is seeking a PILOT under this new proposal, or payment in lieu of taxes. Under a PILOT a developer agrees to redevelop a property while making a fixed annual payment for a set period, rather than being subject to property taxes, which can rise over time.

"If you get six townhouses there is no PILOT," Quinn said. "If you want to save the structure of the church then there is going to be a PILOT and there is probably going to be some parking issues. Where do you want to live in 10 years?"

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The property was previously owned by Holy Spirit Church, which was overseen by the Catholic Diocese of Trenton.

For decades, the church served Asbury Park’s Roman Catholic community. However, in recent years, the parish confronted several challenges, including declining church attendance and financial difficulties.

Holy Spirit School closed in 1980 due to low enrollment numbers. Then the Holy Spirit parish began to eliminate certain ministries. Most recently, in 2014, the Holy Spirit parish merged with two nearby parishes to form the Church of Mother Mercy Parish.

After the merger, Mercy Parish retained and operated two houses of worship in Asbury Park; Holy Spirit Church and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. In October 2020, Mother Mercy Parish announced that Holy Spirit would be closed and sold. Church services were last held at Holy Spirit in 2021.

The Holy Spirit Church is currently vacant and pursuant to Roman Catholic faith restrictions can never be reconsecrated or used as a Roman Catholic Church again.

Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Holy Spirit Church in Asbury Park could become theater, art space