Preservationists set out to save Queen Anne church

Days after a congregation saved its century-old sanctuary from the wrecking ball, preservationists stood this morning in front of another historic sanctuary hoping for another miracle.

Queen Anne's Seventh Church of Christ, Scientist, at 2555 Eighth Ave. W., has applied to the city for a demolition permit. The Queen Anne Historical Society and residents have been unsuccessful in persuading the congregation to hold off. If the permit is issued, the church can complete a deal with a developer who proposes to replace the structure with four single-family houses.

This morning, state and national historic-preservation organizations urged the congregation to consider alternatives, inspired by the example of the First United Methodist Church in downtown Seattle. That church's members voted unanimously Sunday to approve sale of the property to commercial developer Nitze-Stagen & Co., which will preserve the sanctuary.

Scott Davis, chairman of the Seventh Church's board, took the preservation organizations to task for not inviting his members to today's event, at which the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation announced the "most endangered" historic properties in the state. The Seventh Church of Christ, Scientist, was among the nine properties listed by the trust's field director, Chris Moore.

Davis said his congregation prefers to save the 1926 sanctuary but cannot find a development partner willing to rehabilitate the building. Unlike other Christian Scientist churches that were redeveloped in Seattle, the one in Queen Anne is in a single-family residential zone instead of a commercial zone, a difference that makes it financially unrealistic to preserve the sanctuary, he said.

Moore said city historical-preservation laws often allow for more flexibility in a property's zoning if it will save a unique structure from demolition, and that tax incentives exist to support development that maintains historic character.

Davis said the congregation spent nearly two decades trying to find someone to take over the repairs and has paid nearly $20,000 in legal fees to defend its demolition permit application against challenges from neighbors.

The congregation is willing to give away the church to someone who will buy the land, Davis said. The land and buildings were recently appraised at $3.3 million, he said, and the property was listed for $2.3 million a couple years ago.

Across the nation, pressure from a variety of sources is favoring the demolition of old churches: declining congregations, soaring costs and a sizzling real-estate market.

In St. Petersburg, Fla., a historic First Baptist sanctuary on prime downtown property is for sale. In Boston, the Catholic archdiocese put more than 40 churches up for sale to pay legal settlements. And in Provo, Utah, a complex deal to save a Spanish Mission-style Catholic Church built in 1923 recently collapsed, putting it on course for being replaced by homes.

"There are alternatives to demolition," said Elaine Stiles, of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Western regional office in San Francisco. In other cities, urban churches have been converted to affordable housing for seniors as well as schools, community centers and performance halls, she said.

Stacy Lawson, a Queen Anne resident who co-founded a Jewish nonprofit community group, said there are many nonprofits looking for affordable space to lease.

"It would take a master negotiator to bring the parties to the table," Lawson said.

Davis said that the Queen Anne church site doesn't have enough parking space to support some of those uses, not to mention the zoning for multi-family use.

King County Councilman Dow Constantine, who supports its preservation, said the church needs an entrepreneur who understands the real-estate market and the economics of historic restoration.

"What is required is patience, goodwill and caring," Constantine said, "and the application of sustained effort in order to turn these situations into wins for the entire community."

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com