The Residences at St. Matthew Project
Framing inside the St. Matthews gymnasium is nearing completion. Image courtesy of Jim West
When St. Matthews Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places last November, it helped to pave the way for the next chapter in the St. Matthews legacy. The Residences at St. Matthews Project is creating 46 new affordable housing units on the St. Matthew’s campus to help further the church’s mission of creating community and promoting social outreach.
The project was brought to the attention of the church by the Catholic Charities of Southeastern Michigan (CCSEM). Along with its national counterpart, CCSEM has been prioritizing the development of affordable housing projects to help combat the rising cost of living for those in need. St. Matthew was a perfect candidate to consider a project like this since the two additional buildings on the campus have been calling for new life. Between the original school building built in 1930 and the activities building built in 1966 there will be 36 new one-bedroom units, 4 new two-bedroom units, and 6 new studio units as well as a multipurpose space to serve the community in the old gymnasium space.
The project was able to qualify for both Low Income Housing Tax Credits through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MISHDA) as well as historic tax credits through its designation National Historic Designation.
With the use of the historic tax credits the development of the two buildings will be required to maintain much of their original character. Some of these features will include new windows that match the historic and small nods to many unique interior features such as the lockers in the existing school hallways as well as alcoves that used to hold crosses or other icons in the classrooms.
Another exciting aspect of the development is a partnership with Ascension Health. This partnership will promote health focused programming in the multi-purpose space for both residents of the buildings and the community.
Drywall is going up inside of the St. Matthews school. Image courtesy of Rachel Pisano
Construction on the project kicked off in November of 2023 and is expected to go through December of 2024. On a tour of the construction progress with Ryan Rhodes and Chris Waelens of O’Brien Construction Company, the contractors leading the project, it was clear that their crew has been hard at work. Runs for new plumbing lines were being prepped in the existing hallways of the school, which Chris indicated is one of the bigger undertakings of the project.
New framing, drywall, and electrical work are also occurring all over the two buildings. The development will have new finishes throughout as well as new HVAC systems to improve air quality and energy efficiency of the building. Ryan and Chris say on an average day there are around 20 workers on site, but the most they have had in one day is 40 to keep the project running smoothly and on time.
Chris says that one of the most interesting things about working on a historic building is all the unique things uncovered while working. They have uncovered the charm of pink and blue tiles from old 1960 restrooms as well as figures of the Holy Mary in old classrooms. From one of the units located in the activities building you can clearly see a framed view of the church, reminding residents of the beautiful campus they get to be a part of.
Applications for the units themselves are not open yet, but more information can be found at the CCSEM website: https://www.ccsem.org/residences. The target residents of the development are individuals and families that meet MISDHA’s income requirements.
The Residences at St. Mathew is a project that will continue St. Matthew’s mission founded in religious, social, and community service. It will continue to enhance the vibrancy and life of the Morningside neighborhood and continue to grow the great community that exists at Harper and Whittier and beyond.