Partnership saves church

HALIFAX – A north end Halifax church is crediting its partnership with a high-rise apartment building developer for preserving its history.

St. Mark’s, located at the corner of Gottingen Street and Russell Street, has been operating since 1866. “St. Mark’s was in a situation where we were running out of money and we are not a huge congregation and we weren’t sure what our future was going to look like,” says the Rev. Tammy Hodge Orovec, incumbent.

If it wasn’t for the partnership with the developer, the church would cease to exist, she says. “Through some ingenuity and hard work from some very faithful people here at St. Mark’s, they found a partner, someone who was willing to buy our property so they could redevelop it but were also able to preserve the church and help us to live into the future.”

The developer bought the land owned by the church and will build a 10-storey high-rise apartment building. It also plans to revive the church and make it more energy efficient.

The developer is leaving creative control of the sanctuary and worship space up to the church. The church hall and a late addition to the church will be torn down but the basement will be completely renovated and the church will get a professional kitchen, banquet space and possibly space for offices and meetings for the congregation and the wider community.

The church has a special history in the community. It is the last remaining north-end church that existed prior to the Halifax explosion. “Hopefully we can become a real community hub for the north end,” says Ms. Hodge Orovec.

CTV News