Hingham’s Old Ship Church signals settlement to market Parish Property
Hingham’s historic Aged Ship Church signed an settlement to market its 19th century Parish Property to a regional developer, but the sale has not yet been finalized.
Nina Wellford, the church’s treasurer, confirmed in an e-mail the church signed a obtain and sale arrangement with Hingham-primarily based growth business Atlantic Growth on Dec. 23.
Wellford declined to share the agreed-upon sale price, but stated it “demonstrates the worth of the property for each DJ and Aged Ship.”
Previous yr, the city assessed the Parish Household property at $3,929,200. In 2017, when the house was on the market just before parishioners voted to choose it off, it was mentioned at $3.75 million.
The sale will not close until eventually the developer receives the needed permits for the project, Wellford stated.
Developing a new parish house
Aged Ship Church, which has operated out of its historic assembly property on Main Avenue given that the 1600s, obtained the large single-relatives home directly throughout the avenue at 107 Major St. in 1956 and has made use of it as a parish dwelling since then. Church leaders say the existing Parish Dwelling, which was developed in 186, is “deteriorating” and that it would cost $1.4 million just to make immediate repairs to the constructing, on leading of other necessary extended-expression repairs.
If the sale goes by way of, the church strategies to use the funds to construct a new parish property up coming to the Previous Ship meeting house, which is throughout the avenue from the parish house.
Condos could be coming
Atlantic Enhancement has informed the church it options to transform the Parish Residence into condominiums. Due to the fact the Parish House website is at present zoned to allow single-family members housing, Town Conference would have to initially vote to change the zoning in that place to let multi-loved ones housing in buy to make it possible for the change.
The building’s façade is also governed by the Hingham Historic District Fee, which is charged with preserving the area’s historic streetscape. This signifies a developer can not change what the building appears to be like like from the avenue.
Approach to extend very affordable housing
The church also ideas to market land at the again of the Parish Property property to Hingham’s Reasonably priced Housing Have confidence in, so they can grow their Lincoln School progress, which is immediately at the rear of the Parish Household and delivers inexpensive housing for seniors.
The Belief is making use of for $700,000 in Community Preservation Fund money this calendar year for its “opportunity fund,” which is utilised to invest in house for new reasonably priced housing. Tim White, the chair of the AHT, advised customers of the Neighborhood Preservation Committee in November that the believe in set in its original software for CPC funding before moving into talks to acquire the land from the church, and that the cash will not automatically go toward that undertaking.
Wellford reported the church has not yet signed a P&S with the AHT.
In Oct, Previous Ship parishioners voted 98 to nine to permit the church to enter negotiations with Atlantic Improvement, and 103 to two to negotiate with the Cost-effective Housing Believe in.
