Fall River Diocese sells St. Bernadette Church to developer
FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) – St. Bernadette Church, a Fall River parish that has been closed for more than a year, was just sold to a developer.
John Kearns, a spokesperson for the diocese, said the church was sold last week to Fall River-based Dream Homes LLC for $1,025,000.
Kearns said Dream Homes LLC plans to develop a residential community on the site.
Joe Pacheco, manager of Dream Homes LLC, wants to convert two buildings on the property that sit in front of the church into single-family homes. He said zoning only allows for apartment buildings, but he’s working with the city to change that.
“Those two buildings are beautiful buildings that faces Eastern Avenue. We definitely want to save those two buildings,” said Pacheco.
As for the deteriorating church, Pacheco said a local parish has shown interest, but the diocese has the final say.
“If the diocese does not allow us to sell that to someone else, we just have no choice, we’re gonna have to demolish.”
Some residents in the neighborhood are upset with the idea of more housing.
“They’re gonna be gutting the insides out is my guess to try and change that, and that’s not right. Everything in there is historical, they shouldn’t be changed,” said Nova Styles of Fall River.
Pacheco said adding more housing will be a win for everyone, whether it’s just the two buildings or all three.
“It’s a win-win situation for the developer, for the tenants that need apartments, and for the city of Fall River because it becomes another source of income by way of real estate tax,” added Pacheco.
The parish closed in August of 2018 due to a dwindling congregation and accumulating debt. Parishioners were invited to join neighboring parishes. Kearns said the diocese plans to remove all sacred items from the church and put them into storage for other parishes to use.
Dream Homes LLC has not yet applied for a building or demolition permit with the city, according to the building inspector’s office.
© WLNE-TV 2019
