Endswell Walnut Street Development

It appears that the plans to re-purpose the Walnut Street Baptist Church building as low income apartments have fallen through. From what I understand, Endswell, the company planning the redevelopment, did not succeed in obtaining the tax credits and state financing it sought and, without that funding, the planned housing complex is not financially viable.

Endswell

I took a drive around northeast Carbondale to look at some of the homes Endswell has built in the area in the past few years.  Though none of them are the apartment complex that the developer plans to for the Walnut Street Baptist Church building, all of the properties are very nice single family dwellings:

Walnut Street Baptist Church

Walnut Street Baptist Church from the parking lot. Streets run directly in front of the church and to the right of the flat roofed addition, making it quite hard for a growing church to expand in any direction. From what I have heard, the addition on the right will be relatively easy to renovate into apartments. It is the older church building proper that will prove difficult as it will need extensive gutting.

I gather that the tax credits and financing Endswell wants from the state are contingent on the building keeping 20 of the apartments for lower income residents, with two at market rate. However, after fifteen years, all of the apartments may be rented out at market rate.

A major problem with the location is the lack of parking. The Civic Center already has problems with not enough parking for some events and adding the new development will put a strain on the already limited number of spaces. A couple of possibilities are for the city to rent or buy the old Verizon lot just west of Univeristy or, a more expensive alternative, build a multi-level parking lot next to the civic center.

Low Income Housing Proposal Approved

It looks as if city council approved supporting Endswell's proposed redeveloping of the Walnut Street Baptist Church building for low income housing with 8000 square feet of retail space on the first floor.

The next stage apparently is approaching the state for funding and tax credits and Endswell needs support shown from the community before the state will award funding. Unfortunate that this is not a viable project without some form of tax incentive.