Church cohousing talks continue


John Ruch

HYDE SQ.—Stony Brook Cohousing is still in talks with the owners of the former Blessed Sacrament Church about turning the building into semi-communal condos.

A “due diligence” period to examine the local cohousing group’s financial ability to pull off the redevelopment at 365 Centre St. was scheduled to end last month. It is unclear whether the due diligence period has been extended, or if a direct sale negotiation is under way.

“At the moment, we are in discussions with the owners of the Blessed Sacrament about the terms under which the project might proceed,” said Jon Rudzinski of Jamaica Plain-based Rees-Larkin Development, the partner of Stony Brook Cohousing, in an e-mail to the Gazette last month. “I wouldn’t be able to get into further details at this time, other than to say that we are in discussion about the parameters of the potential project with the owners.”

The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) and New Atlantic Development own the entire seven-building Blessed Sacrament complex and have a large-scale redevelopment under way on the rest of the site. JPNDC Executive Director Richard Thal could not be reached for comment.

“We continue to be excited about the possibility of going forward with the project, as the proposal for cohousing in the church has generated a lot of interest in the community among potential [cohousing] members and neighbors,” Rudzinski told the Gazette.

Cohousing developments include individually owned condo units and shared community spaces used by all residents. Stony Brook Cohousing is proposing a roughly $12.5 million redevelopment of the church into 37 condo units.

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