The one-time Warren United Methodist Church at 1630 E. 14th Avenue in downtown Denver served worshippers for more than a century before closing its doors in the summer of 2014.
Now a non-profit known as the St. Francis Center, which focuses on providing shelter and services for the homeless, wants to turn the facility into an affordable income dormitory.
The St. Francis Center purchased the property for more than $1 million last year, announcing plans to build 48 residential units at the site with an overall footprint of around 6,000 square feet.
Each unit will measure around 125 square feet.
The Center already uses some 15,000 square feet at the site for an employment services program.
What is estimated to be a roughly $7 million project will additionally see the construction of common space bathrooms and a large dining room.
Area residents, while not saying they are entirely opposed to the project, have nevertheless expressed concerns about parking space and who exactly will be living at the complex.
Because the church is classified as a historic structure, any alterations to the building will have to first win the approval of the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission, which is scheduled to review the project in early March.
St. Francis Center officials have said that they would like to see work on the church and related site buildings begin later this spring, with a completion date of late this year or sometime in early 2021.
By Garry Boulard
