In the Near Northside, a $170K Neighborhood Church Is Staged for Some Sort of Afterlife

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Just add performer (or pastor) and this former church building with studio-friendly sound and light system will be ready to roll. Or rock. The 1985 property on a residential street is set within Depenbrook Allen, a Near Northside neighborhood located off Quitman St. near I-45. Re-listed last week, the former home of Ministerio Zoe Vida now has a new asking price of $169,900. Previous price points ranged from $245,000 (at its initial listing in May 2013) to the $175K it had reached by December, when it went on a quick winter break.

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There’s no separate lot for cars; parking is available on the street or on the patchy grass along the Churchill St. side of the 5,000-sq.-ft. corner lot. The L-shaped, 2,100-sq.-ft. structure has 3 half-baths. Rounded steps at the front entry open directly to the interior’s staging and seating:

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What used to be a closet near the front door gained new purpose (and a window) as a sound booth:

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The back-of-building is currently set up for meeting, greeting, and eating:

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There’s also some classroom space:

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The listing mentions artsy neighbors, including one in this building, described as one of Houston’s early corner stores:

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More recent additions to the vintage area just north of downtown include Metro’s light rail turn from North Main to Quitman, just 2 blocks east of the property.

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3 Comment

  • Doesn’t seem like a bad deal. About $20/sf on the dirt. And free building.

  • This is in part of the Near Northside that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood has applied for a minimum lot size area protection to try and prevent the same thing happening to the neighborhood that is happening to First Ward.

  • And safely out of the 500-year floodplain.