Local developer plans to convert historic church in Old Northeast into residences
/A rendering of the westminster presbyterian church property, converted into a single-family home, and the school building, converted into two townhomes | belleair development group
A local developer may convert the historic 98-year-old Westminster Presbyterian Church in St. Pete's Old Northeast neighborhood into residences.
Pinellas Park-based Belleair Development Group, which has delivered multiple commercial and residential projects throughout St. Petersburg, is proposing to convert the former church and school at 126 11th Avenue Northeast into one single-family home and two townhomes.
The Westminster Presbyterian Church, designed in 1926 by well-known architect Archie Parrish, has sat dormant for over a decade and is listed as a local historic landmark in the St. Petersburg Register of Historic Places.
The designation protects culturally significant buildings from demolition but allows for certain adaptive reuses.
The westminster presbyterian church as it stands today | Google Earth
Belleair Development Group, which acquired the one-acre property in 2021 for $1.475 million, is requesting city approval to convert the sanctuary and school under the Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings Overlay.
"We want to respect the historical significance and bring new life to the property with something the community can be proud of," Belleair Development Group President and owner Christian Yepes and project manager Reid Yoder said to St. Pete Rising.
The property is located at 126 11th Avenue Northeast in historic old northeast | google earth
According to the application, there will be no adverse impacts on the buildings, which fall within the NT-3 (Neighborhood Traditional Single Family) zoning.
"We can build more dwelling units, but we've met with the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association [HONNA] countless times and that's not what they want," Yoder said. "After making some design changes, we've received overwhelming support from neighbors and HONNA's historical preservation board."
The team obtained the original 1926 blueprints of the church, which will be converted into a single-family residence with restored stained glass windows and an updated front porch.
"We want to pay homage to the church by incorporating the 1926 design into the plan. The school property wasn't designed until the late 1950s," Yepes said. "Our team looked at buildings in St. Pete built in the 50s and will be using those design elements."
The proposed elevations of the townhomes and church building | belleair development group
Belleair Development Group previously considered designing all of the units to match the exterior of the 1926 church. The group said the aesthetics of the church will not change its architectural style, distinguishing historic qualities or character.
"The neighborhood feared a developer would come in, demolish the buildings, and put up apartments," HONNA President Nick Bell said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. "This current design saves the buildings, and that's not easy. The church's basement has suffered flooding, and there are other tremendous structural issues that will take a lot of money to address."
Site plans and a rendering show three bedrooms in the townhomes, ranging between 4,408 to 5,534 square feet, and covered porches. Air conditioned space will range between 2,271 and 2,880, respectively.
The 5,935-square-foot single-family home will have four or five bedrooms, a balcony, a covered porch, a terrace, and a swimming pool with a spa. The home will have air conditioned space of 4,422 square feet.
The two townhomes and the single-family home will feature connected garages.
The new residences will "remedy its long-standing vacancy and ensure its continued existence and viability for the future" as "attempts by both the current and former owners to find a replacement church and school to operate the property have likewise failed," according to the project documents.
An overall site plan showing the conceptual layouts of the units | Belleair development group
"If utilized for its original use as a church or school, there would be negative secondary impacts to the surrounding neighborhood, including traffic, parking, and noise. These issues have been publicly raised by neighbors in the past," explained the submitted documents.
The group is working with St. Pete-based architecture and planning firm Jovanovic and Lyons and land use attorney Don Matsry of Trenam Law.
This will be Belleair Development Group’s second attempt to get the project underway. The city denied the application last year, asking for more information.
If the newly submitted application is rejected, the developer can appeal the decision, which would go before the St. Petersburg City Council. If the application is approved, Belleair Development Group can proceed with filing permits.
THE PROPOSED SECOND FLOOR PLAN OF THE RESIDENCES | Belleair development group
The conversion of the church property wouldn't be the first time a local historic church has served a different use.
In 2021, the former Baptist American Church of the Beatitudes in Crescent Heights was converted into a single-family home.
Additionally, the new owners of the Euclid Methodist Church in St. Petersburg plan to restore the historic church into an event venue.
A timeline and construction cost estimate were not disclosed in Belleair Development Group’s application. However, Yepes said they hope to commence construction this year. Pricing for the residences was not released.
The project would be constructed in phases to mitigate any impacts on the neighborhood by utilizing the vacant lots for staging.
Belleair Development Group also owns a handful of neighboring parcels, which may be redeveloped into additional single-family homes in the future.
The family-owned firm, started by Christian Yepes’ father, Carlos Yepes, in 1997, is also developing the Terraces at 87th, a 92-unit townhome enclave rising on the corner of 4th Street North and 87th Avenue in north St. Petersburg.
