An abandoned church in New York has been listed for sale in the hope that a developer will swoop in, renovate the 162-year-old structure and restore its original beauty.
St. Joseph’s in Albany is now up for grabs after having closed in the early 1990s.
It reportedly stands more than 230 feet tall with the bones of the building still intact and with radiant stained-glass throughout.
The listing price is $100,000.
“The cheap price has the phone ringing off the hook,” said William F. “Felton” McLaughlin, associate real estate broker with NAI Platform, an Albany-based commercial real estate company.
St. Joseph’s in Albany, New York, has been listed for sale at $100,000 after its doors reportedly closed in the early 1990s. (Thaler Reilly & Wilson Architecture and Preservation)
McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that it could be a multi-million dollar project to restore St. Joseph’s.
“At the same time, we are getting calls from people who want to live there,” he said.
There are several permitted and conditional uses for the church, including a nursing home, hospital, bed-and-breakfast and a school, among other possibilities.
Bright, colorful and handcrafted stained- glass windows are seen in the church. (Thaler Reilly & Wilson Architecture and Preservation)
Permitted uses include a day care center, beauty salon, barber shop, community center, multifamily dwelling — and, of course, a religious institution.
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The church is visible along the Albany city skyline.
Before its closing, the building reportedly appeared in the 1987 film “Ironweed,” starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep.
St. Joseph’s Church reportedly stands at more than 230 feet tall and can be seen along the skyline of Albany, New York. (Thaler Reilly & Wilson Architecture and Preservation)
“What I think makes this story so fascinating is there are people all across America who have churches [of all sizes] that are sitting vacant,” Anton Pasquill, McLaughlin’s real estate partner, told Fox News Digital.
“To have an opportunity to be, in a small way, part of the preservation of this structure just as a resident is pretty exciting for me.”
Stained-glass windows appear throughout the church. (Thaler Reilly & Wilson Architecture and Preservation)
McLaughlin said the expectation is “that hammers start swinging.” (Thaler Reilly & Wilson Architecture and Preservation)
“Once the sale [goes through], there’s going to be an expectation that hammers start swinging quickly because it needs that,” he said.
He added that city officials will work with the buyer to find sources for funding as needed.
McLaughlin said he and his team have verified potential buyers who have property development experience.
Multiple showings of the church are scheduled to take place this week, Fox News Digital is told.
Nicole Pelletiere is a senior editor on the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
Source: foxnews.com
