It’s the cheapest piece of real estate to hit the market in Brantford in some time – and the most historic.
The former St. Jude’s Anglican Church on Peel Street was listed for sale Tuesday with an asking price of $1. It attracted interest quickly, with three showings lined up for Wednesday afternoon.
The actual sale price will likely be quite a bit more than a few pieces of pocket change. Real estate agent Roy Rodrigues says the current owner will look at any and all offers on June 12.
In addition to the chapel, the decommissioned church includes a banquet hall and office space. All in all, the building has more than 10,000 square feet of space.
Because of its murals – which were painted in the 1930s and depict the life of Jesus – the church was designated as a national historic site in 1993
That designation does not carry the same weight as municipal heritage protections. There is nothing to stop a new owner from destroying the existing building or the murals.
Rodrigues says the property is zoned for institutional use, which means it can be used as a church, daycare, nursery or school.
Any other proposed use would involve getting an approval from the city for rezoning – something Rodrigues says the city is open to.
“They’d rather see a building being used for a good purpose, rather than being vacant and derelict,” he says.
According to Nathan Etherington, who chairs Brantford’s heritage committee, efforts to guarantee that the murals would be preserved fell to defeat at city council in 2015.
While it is possible that the church could be sold to someone who sees its heritage value as an asset, Etherington says it’s far from a guarantee.
“It’s very worrisome,” he says.
‘We know it’s not protected. Anything could happen.”
With reporting by Max Wark
