Developers look for amazing grace in resurrection of church buildings
WEST END -- It was a highly specific way of asking, "Are you crazy?"
Before Frank Sanns Jr. had renovated the former St. James Catholic Church school in the West End, an observer touring the rubble with a camera asked, "What would possess anyone to buy a building in as poor condition as this?"
Mr. Sanns can laugh about the question now, since the debris and neglect of the building are gone.
The church was saved just before it was scheduled for demolition. Mr. Sanns has transformed the former school into James Center, a conference center and banquet hall that features a facility built in 1915 with unique architecture and modern decor and amenities.
But then, his vision seemed, well, maybe a little delusional.
"I loved it. I don't know how to explain it but you have a feeling," he said.
"I didn't see all the fallen plaster and debris. I heard the laughter of people, the smell of food and a band playing `Moonlight Serenade,' " he added.
Now, with James Center officially hosting its first events since April and with many of its weekends already booked, that vision doesn't seem so far-fetched.
In a region teeming with abandoned churches Sanns has gone to great expense to renovate a property that suffered years of neglect. He is working to defy the odds, the doubters and the investors too nervous to help in building new businesses out of old, abandoned churches. Sanns said that space books quickly.
While the risk for buying and renovating such church property may seem high, a market for conference and special event space unencumbered by other costs has proven to exist.
Mr. Sanns said he's competing in a different market than most other halls. "Let's put it this way: We never lose (business) to someone of equal price in Pittsburgh. "We want to give upper middle-class Americans an elegant place to go without the heavy price tag."
Located 1 mile from Downtown, Mr. Sanns said he hopes his 7,000 square feet of space, lower costs and free parking will help to persuade corporations to think of James Centre for weekday meetings.
"The challenge is just to let people know that we're here," said Mr. Sanns. "Every event that we have, we get at least two bookings from it. Once we get the word out to people, it's easy. We just have to get them in the door."
The irony is that once owners like Sanns have gotten past often enormous barriers to renovate their properties, event business can be scheduled into the future in ways other businesses would envy.
Excerpts are from the August 13, 1999 print edition of The Pittsburgh Business Times
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