04-02-2016, 08:42 PM
The parking issue is kind of interesting. They have seven spots on church property currently, which is nowhere near what they need during services on Sundays and Wednesdays. But the twenty spots they would add by tearing down the convent are also nowhere near what they would need during those times. At the moment, worshipers use the parking lot behind the former school during services. That could change if that school is ever redeveloped, but if it is there would be no way to accommodate all of the cars that arrive for services, even with the convent developed. Street parking in the neighbouring blocks would probably suffice, but the twenty additional spots allowed by the convent's demolition would be a drop in the bucket.
I think you're probably right that affordable housing would be the best use here, but I think its proximity to King means that no use should be automatically ruled out- this is a neighbourhood that, even if it's primarily residential, should be expected to change. To me, looking at the outside of the building, I wouldn't guess it's in especially rough shape, but I also don't know what condition the interior is in. I would say that a parking lot is the very last thing that should be considered in a location like this, though.
I think you're probably right that affordable housing would be the best use here, but I think its proximity to King means that no use should be automatically ruled out- this is a neighbourhood that, even if it's primarily residential, should be expected to change. To me, looking at the outside of the building, I wouldn't guess it's in especially rough shape, but I also don't know what condition the interior is in. I would say that a parking lot is the very last thing that should be considered in a location like this, though.