Developer set on resurrecting St. Bart's as senior housing

A local developer is preparing to convert the old St. Bartholomew campus into affordable housing for seniors.

Shawn Taylor pitched his vision to the Penn Hills Planning Commission on May 23, seeking a conditional use for an approximately 100-unit complex that repurposes some parts of the site and demolishes others.

The property would be rebranded as Penn Hills Dwellings. An LLC under the same name and owned by Taylor bought the 8-acre property for $700,000 in December.

About a half-dozen residents spoke at the meeting with sentiments ranging from light skepticism to full-blown anger over a perceived lack of code enforcement near the property.

At one point, resident and electrician Lamar Miles grew irate with Jerry Chiappinelli, chairman of the planning commission, who interrupted Miles’ comments about who would be hired to complete the project.

Miles concluded his comments after officials threatened to have him removed.

Despite some friction from residents, the planning commission unanimously granted Taylor’s conditional use request.

St. Bart’s, as it was known, went dark in 2021 after the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh closed the church. Its adjacent school shuttered in 2017.

Both times, officials from Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish cited low interest and rising costs in their decision.

Taylor, a resident of the municipality and owner of Penn Hills-based Taylor Construction and Development, acknowledged some people’s emotional attachment to the site.

“It has been a long-standing pillar of the community,” Taylor acknowledged. “It has always been a dream of mine to redevelop that property.”

If approved, the project will unfold in phases.

Initial efforts will focus on converting the rectory into 12 units, followed by another 12 units in the nunnery. All three stories of these buildings need updates such as fire sprinklers and disability accessibility, Taylor said.

Later phases will focus on the church and school buildings.

“Unfortunately, a majority of the school cannot be saved,” Taylor said. “That building will be either a full demolition or a partial demolition.”

Taylor said he expects a similar outcome for the church although that’s still up in the air.

Another 70 units will be built in these areas, whether the original structures are taken down or not.

All units will be reserved for seniors making 60% of the area median income or less, with most tenants making closer to 50% of that metric, according to Taylor. He added that he will make exceptions on a case-by-case basis, such as a grandchild living with a grandparent.

Some residents reminisced about St. Bartholomew Church during the meeting.

Lisa Macioce attended church and school at the building for many years. She also serves on the finance council for Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish, which made the call to sell the property.

“It was hard to sign my name to that paper,” Macioce said.

Ultimately, she said, the parish “just wanted to make sure that our neighborhood is safe and maintained.”

During the meeting, Taylor quelled some of Macioce’s fears about lawn maintenance and drainage issues.

Shrina Bell, another resident, questioned Taylor on how he would secure an attached parking lot from miscreant drivers. The lot is posted as no trespassing, but that hasn’t stopped a tractor-trailer and several vehicles from using it.

Taylor privately spoke with Bell afterward but emphasized throughout the meeting that he would make himself available for complaints, reports of trespassers and other issues. There also will be on-site staff once tenants move in, he said.

The conditional use still needs approval from council, which is set to meet at 7 p.m. June 17.