Historic Catholic church in Grand Rapids faces demolition under $55 million housing plan

Local investment firm Beckett Industries has proposed demolishing historic St. James Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which closed in 2022, to make way for a $55 million apartment development, according to local reports.

Beckett Industries plans to build “Saint James Place,” a development with about 240 apartments in two buildings, on the Bridge Street site, NPR affiliate WGVU reported Nov. 6. The Diocese of Grand Rapids has agreed to sell the vacant property to the investment firm, according to the outlet.

The proposal remains subject to city approval, according to WGVU. 

Irish immigrants founded St. James in 1870, and the church served the city’s West Side for generations before its closure in 2022. Bishop David Walkowiak celebrated its final Mass on June 7 of that year, according to the diocese. 

In a statement issued at the time, the diocese cited a shortage of priests, a declining population in an area served by several parishes, and needed repairs that could not be financed.

“The decision to close a church is not easy. The emotional connection people have to their spiritual home runs deep, and decisions like this are hard to accept,” the diocese said. “At the same time, we must be cognizant of the current realities.” 

Beckett Industries managing partner Danny Beckett Jr. said the firm explored ways to retain the church as part of the development but could not make those alternatives work.

“We tried so many different options of turning it into a restaurant or some other type of use that would tie into this multifamily project, and we just couldn't get it to work,” he said, according to WGVU.

The firm’s general partner, John Meyer, said the diocese plans to save some of the church’s windows and bells, while the developers hope to salvage additional architectural and artistic elements.

“How do we honor that space in a way that’s appropriate? How do we salvage architectural items?” he said. “The Diocese, in this case, is going to save some of the windows and the bells. Anything that's left and salvageable — windows or art or architecture pieces — we're going [to] ourselves try to salvage.”

According to Michigan news outlet MLive, Beckett Industries said it plans to continue discussions with residents, former parishioners, and city officials. The outlet reported that no construction schedule has been finalized.