With all the discussions taking place on church reuses these days, I could not pass up the chance to take a walkthrough of one of the seventeen Bryant Parish condos. This development (’92-’94) was one of the forerunners of church conversions in the city. It was also one of the few living situations that went ‘condo’ instead of ‘rental’. The 1039 sq.’ unit is currently selling for $169,000 and includes underground parking and storage, one bedroom with study, appliances, forced air and A/C, seven stained glass windows, original wooden archway elements, double arch doors, gas fireplace, 12′ ceilings, elevator, wood floors and rooftop patio.
As with any condo there are association fees… the fees for this unit run $475 a month, which are offset yearly by the low property taxes that run $620 a year. Actually, the monthly fee was recently bumped up from $300 due to capital repairs made to the building. This past summer, the tenant association took out a seven-year loan to repair the roof and chimney, re-point bricks, and reseal and paint the windows. That loan was incorporated into the monthly association fees. And what else do those fees get you? They take care of building day-to-day building maintenance, snow removal and grounds keeping, water, trash, and sewer. So basically, the owners who live in the building don’t have to worry about the upkeep.
I asked John Heffron, Gurney, Becker and Bourne’s rep, about what sort of tenants were calling the Parish Commons (formerly Disciples of Christ Church/Richmond Avenue Church of Christ) their home. “They are mostly young professionals,” he answered. “Some of the owners consider their condos a second home. They might live in Florida… or even Orchard Park. 75% of the units are occupied full time.” For a city that is need of additional condo living situations, it is big news when a unit like this becomes available. “You wouldn’t believe how many people come through these condos when we have open houses,” John told me. “People are really fascinated about this place.”
If you would like to check out the available unit (corner of Connecticut and Bryant), please call John Heffron at 716-362-1821.