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St. Mary buys former FBC building
Published Tuesday, September 1, 2009
NATCHEZ — The dilapidated landmark that is the former First Baptist Church building on Main Street has a new owner.
St. Mary Basilica’s pastoral and finance councils unanimously agreed on Aug. 6 to purchase the property from Dream Homes, Inc., a development company based in Merrero, La., for $147,000. The announcement was made Sunday in St. Mary’s weekly bulletin.
St. Mary withdrew the funds from its savings account, and the account will be reimbursed at monthly payments of $5,000 from operating funds, said the Rev. David O’Connor.
Daniel Furden, a full-time New Hampshire resident who owns a house in Natchez, had entered into a contract with Dream Homes to purchase the property in April. He had also acquired a permit from the Natchez Preservation Commission to begin demolition. Furden approached O’Connor about transferring the contract to St. Mary for the amount he would spend on purchasing the property, asbestos abatement, demolition and landscaping.
Furden later notified O’Connor that he did not want to incur the costs of asbestos abatement, demolition and lot landscaping, but he still wanted to transfer the contract. St. Mary is now responsible for the above mentioned tasks.
“We weren’t seeking (the property) out, but it became available and was offered to us,” O’Connor said.
St. Mary will submit a new application for demolition and landscape plan to the Natchez Preservation Commission, said Chairman Marty Seibert. Seibert added the commission will not review St. Mary’s request until its October meeting.
Seibert, a member of St. Mary, said the purchase is a positive step forward.
“That property has been stagnant for 20 years and it was certainly not going to enhance the look and feel of that part of Main Street,” Seibert said. “The opportunity presented itself and I assume (the pastoral council) evaluated all the options.”
St. Mary has sought price quotes for asbestos abatement, which should not exceed $10,000, O’Connor said Price quotes are also being sought for demolition, leveling of the site and landscaping.
O’Connor hopes demolition will be completed before Thanksgiving, but said there are no immediate plans of what will go on the property.
St. Mary also owns the Main Street Marketplace building adjacent to the former First Baptist Church site.
Plans are moving forward to restore the Marketplace as St. Mary’s Family Life Center, O’Connor said.
Comments
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 1:26 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by itsmemame (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 6:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Didn't I read in The Democrat recently that the First Baptist Church building was one of two or three building that were being considered to be demolished, Phillip West style?
Posted by VillageIdiot (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 6:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Lord works in mysterious ways. ;-)
Posted by picture_music101 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 6:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Losers. Why you going to demoslish it. I for one dislike natchez now.
Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 6:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm so glad to see this
and I disagree with the statements about Dream Homes
they had every opportunity to do something with this building, but it was clear by their own actions - all they did was remove the valuable stained glass and other fixtures they could easily remove and sell, then after that they did nothing.....
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 7:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
St Mary's certainly has the money!
Posted by rhymeandreason (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 7:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a perfect opportunity for St. Mary's to build their educational facility on the FBC lot and continue to operate the Marketplace as a community site. Perhaps, St. Mary's could enter into a long-term lease of the Marketplace property with the City. The Marketplace is a unique property in Natchez and should be preserved.
Posted by reader (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It never ceases to amaze me what offends some people.
Posted by snowgarden (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 8:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know its unlikely that this building is savable, but its just so sad to me to see it go. I know it looks aweful now, but I'd been hoping that someone would "save" it. :(
Posted by riverat (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm confused...can someone please explain what St Mary's is getting out of this deal? They're going to have an empty lot...how is this a good investment (or did I miss the whole point of the article). Somebody explain!!!
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 9:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well riverat I also am confused. Only thing I can think of is they will not try and save the old building but instead demolish it and make another parking spot for the church goers to St Mary's.
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 11:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
K Rogers - the building is an eyesore - no doubt about that.
I have a problem with the "city" making any builder, home owner, or developer jump through hoops at huge expense and then continually moving the hoops.
The Preservation Commission were unbelievably rude and unprofessional to Dream Homes. Dream Homes owned the building they did not steal the windows - they owned the windows. The interior of the building had virtually nothing of value inside - anyone who thinks they only bought the building to strip it and abandon it have been drinking the Koolaid. There was never $100,000 worth of salvage. The roof tiles (if you could remove them without dying) are worthless, the pews were sold years before Dream Homes, bought the building and the few doors and interior fittings left intact were poor quality.
Dream Homes had an architect, and an engineer at some of their meetings in front of the PC. They had plans and seem to have enough experience to have completed the project. (The crashing of the credit market and the housing market also did not help this project succeed). I have not noticed any progress on a number of other major building projects either.
My problem is that from the very beginning the PC did everything in their power to stop this project - Dream Homes were the only people who had spent a dime on FBC in 20 years - the city knew the former owner - knew he had the money to repair the building after the 1998 wind damage - yet did nothing.
I find it "convenient" that a buyer comes forward and wants to buy FBC to demolish it and make a "new park" for "Alturistic Reasons". He planned to pay $145,000 for the property, it will cost at least $200,000 to demolish and infill the hole in the basement and landscape it to plant grass and trees. Why? The answer is because St Mary's wants more parking for their new Family Life Building.
Why the subterfuge? - why did St Mary's not buy the church when they could have bought it for the $75,000 Dream Homes paid. If they had bought it prior to the mini Natchez building boom they could have paid even less.
Posted by mrmojorisin (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm with you tigermom...what does it matter to anyone who knocks that old hazard of an eyesore down, as long as it goes.
You too, krogers...Dream Homes took all they wanted and used the city ordinances as an excuse to pull out.
Natchez1--you believe Oswald was a patsy, don't you? There's conspiracy everywhere, and they are trying to get you, right?
Sheesh, I heard that St Mary's is turning the old Market Place building into a new family life center. They may use the lot where the old church is for a parking lot for the new facility. But what concern is it of anyone else. At least that old dump will be gone, and Natchez will look less bombed out than it does now.
Now if we could just get the owners of the buildings from the corner of Franklin and MLK to take a hammer to some of that mess, and throw some paint on the whole thing Natchez would look 100% better...they could even put a "Historic District" sign on the corner.
hooyah!---mojo
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 11:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Arlington in the meantime isn't healing and needs to go too don't you think?
Posted by tbaby3 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm with mrmojorism, the more you read the more you see it's offending somebody. It's been sitting there too long and finally someone is going to do something with it. More power to St. Mary's.
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Tigermom - I do not hate any group - religious or otherwise.
My concern is that the PC behaved unprofessionally at best - and probably had a conflict of interest as the chair of the PC is a major force behind the life center and very involved in the hierarchy of St. Mary's. I have nothing against Marty, the Preservation Commission, or St. Mary's ( I might even be a Catholic). This saga was anti business, set terrible precidents, and seems to think many people in Natchez are stupid. (or don't care).
It is possible that St. Mary's wanted the site for additional parking - or even a playground as part of the family life center but were concerned if they bought the building just to demolish it there would be opposition. When Dream Homes bought the building this threw a curveball to their plans. Solution - the Natchez Way - hamper them, defame them, and call them criminals. Surprize the project fails.
Now the building is too unsafe and too damaged to restore - amazing how removing the windows made the building collapse. The building is put up for sale - and a new transplant to Natchez (and Catholic) offers to buy it. He states the building is too damaged - by the thugs at Dream Homes to save and must be demolished. He is granted permission to demolish it.
Amazingly the next thing that happens is he decides to back out of the deal - St Mary's suddenly realizes that it wants the building and completes the contract.
It may be that Dream Homes were lucky that the project was damaged by the PC.
Many condo projects have been shelved, abandoned, and the few at the Depot that were completed sit unsold.
I am sure St. Mary's will enhance the property - it would be really really hard not to!
St. Marys also may be correct that if they had been open about their intentions it might have been "Pecan Factory II" - without the mayor driving the bulldozer.
I am not anti progress - I supported Dream Homes efforts, I even voiced support for the Bluff Condos - with some alterations. I am not against parking areas downtown.
It is a shame that in Natchez in order to do anything one group has to become demonized before a different group can move forward. This results in stalemates, a lack of progress and is why Natchez continues to decline.
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The condo's at the Depot sit with no owners simply for false advertisement....they clamied you could see the river from your condo! WRONG! And then slapped a huge price tag on them for that view and there they sit.
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Fairly sure Oswald did it, as did James Earl Ray
Elvis, MJ are really dead - I did just go to visit Elvis and the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine motel.
"Just because you are paranoid - does not mean they are not out to get you"
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 11:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
gottabehappy - you probably can if you are sitting on the roof.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I could be wrong, but I think St. Marys owns the property that the Marketplace is on and had a lease with the city to use it, sublet to Mike Byrnes? That will give them a lot of room to spread out. Good for them.
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
More like stand on somebodys shoulders on the roof natchez1!
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 1:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Freedom - you are not exactly right
They do own the Marketplace - but it was leased to Alcorn, the City and the Feds on a 10 year? lease - A Butch Brown deal. The lease has expired or is close to expiring.
St. Mary's bought it about 12 years ago and Father O' Connor planned to convert it to the Family Life building. Many members of the church opposed the plan (because of the cost) - Father O' Connor was transfered out of town and when he returned he resumed his "dream".
My only question is if it is to be additional parking is it really needed. I assume the people doing Sunday school will do that before or after Mass. St. Mary's already has a big parking area and with the on street parking & a Saturday Mass I have never noticed a problem. (maybe funerals as B&K lease their lot during the week.)
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow - a first - I have had a comment removed ------
I'm sort of shocked it lasted so long.
Posted by mrmojorisin (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 5:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
natchez1--- are you not from Natchez? You seem so amazed that the carpetbaggers ran into trouble and run out of town! If you're not from here, then it's time you learned...we don't cotton to outsiders coming in here and trying to purport progress. No sir, we won't stand for it...
When Exxon wanted to locate down river we said "NO!" When the outlet mall that has given a rebirth to the sleepy little burg of Gonzales, wanted to build at Tracetown, we said, "NO!" Whenever anyone wants to move ahead into the new century, we say, "NO!"
We like our little bitty private schools, our little bitty private country club, our little bitty private garden clubs, our little bitty private historic and preservation clubs...we don't like outsiders. We don't even like each other. And we're proud of it!
But we all love Natchez because of how it used to be...how great it was when we grew up, and we don't want to move on, we want to go backwards...and it's killing us.
Nearly everyone living in this town of ours grew up here, and we're all Natchezians, but we like to separate ourselves by our traditions, our skin colors, and our community statures. Maybe archaic southern customs, surely social layering, but we're all we have and we'd better get used to it....in mass Sunday, Father O'Connor told a story about how the laws and traditions of the Jews turned Moses' 10 commandments into over 600 Mosaic Laws by the time of Jesus, but Jesus trimmed it all down to 2 when answering the pharisees questions. After scorning them for adhering to ritual laws nearly to the point of idolatry, Jesus told them the two greatest laws are to love God and to love each other, to take care of each other.
I'm not really sorry if I sound preachy, I want this town to survive, and I want us all to survive together. We can live through our arguments, our differences...we can live through our growing pains, because we're all goiing to have to grow to make this work, as long as we can look inside our hearts and make sure that love of God and love of neighbor are what we prize most above all.
--mojo
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 6:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mojo
I am one of those crazy people (carpetbaggers?) who saw potential in Natchez and moved here - been here a long time but not a Natchezian. Have fought to try and improve downtown and Natchez - and have the scars to prove it.
I have spent alot of money here and am tired of the fight.
Stuck here - can't afford to leave and can't sell my properties.
Natchez could be great - we could prosper, retain our charm, the small town feel, grow so children would have work when they leave school. But instead everyone is a NIMBY everyone has to get a cut of the pie, and they kill any project that might alter any little part of their life.
One day soon they will wake up and find that their little town dried up and died. I hope I can leave before that happens.
Such a shame
Posted by jugghead52 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 7:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
why don't we make a commitment to build the tallest building in the world, that would surprise the crap out of everyone!
does this sound ridiculous? If you going to dream ,dream big
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on September 1, 2009 at 7:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jugghead52, a Summer Olympic Sports Complex would be better idea than the tallest building. Maybe we could get the games by 2040.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on September 1, 2009 at 9:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gary, they wouldn't even let us keep the barn and horse arena on Liberty Rd., they surely aren't going to let the Equisterian Olympics come here! LOL
Posted by ntz143 (anonymous) on September 2, 2009 at 6:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mojo for Mayor! Great commentary on Natchez and right on the mark, ND needs to hire YOU to write for them!
Posted by mrmojorisin (anonymous) on September 2, 2009 at 8:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks, Ntz143....but I'm not masochistic enough for either of those jobs...
But I really do believe we all need to take a look and compare what we say we believe and what we actually do.
--mojo
Posted by revols (anonymous) on September 2, 2009 at 8:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
has anyone just ignored the preservation commission or historic society? how are they empowered by the city?
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