Saving a sense of (Gabriel’s) place

There are many logical reasons to preserve historic buildings: more residential and commercial space, reducing inventory of vacant buildings and the resulting decay and blight, and the jobs created from such renovation projects. However, another reason for undertaking such rehab jobs is that it provides all the feels when it also bolsters a community’s pride and sense of place. Among other benefits, this is what 8K will help Avondale achieve through its revitalization of Gabriel’s Place, a 1.5-acre parcel and former church at 3618 Reading Road in Avondale.

Built in 1869, the house of worship had been known as St Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church until 2008 as part of the Diocese of Southern Ohio. Beginning in 2011, the site enjoyed a second life as a hub of neighborhood activity as Gabriel’s Place, a nonprofit urban farm that offered community residents a farmer’s market, a weekly community dinner, cooking classes, and a resource for educating and empowering urban youth.

 After withstanding a temporary shutdown in early 2014 after a rash of vandalism and theft, Gabriel’s Place persevered in its role as a community gathering place until the Diocese was no longer able to sustain the property and COVID made its core functions untenable. The Diocese donated the property to the Avondale Development Corp.

Gary KesslerIn Avondale, the former site of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church and Gabriel’s Place, a public gathering space with a farmer’s market and community meals, will be revitalized with 20 residential units and a community center.

Gabriel’s Place has a unique distinction because of its 1982 addition to the National Register of Historic Places, which could create opportunities for historic preservation tax credits. The Ohio Preservation Association had listed Gabriel’s Place among its most endangered historical sites in the state, and 8K’s team is proud of its role in upholding its historical legacy.

“The building had been vacant, but was in decent structural condition for its age,” says Michael Chewning, one of the principals of 8K, the OTR developer using an engaged approach that is helping revitalize neighborhoods by collaborating with city, neighborhood, and financial organizations with tools. “We’ve seen a lot worse. The historic structures will be fully renovated. Our focus is on stabilizing the building … to mitigate water infiltration.”

The ambitious project, which could incur a final price tag as large as $20 million, will remodel the sanctuary and annex into a cultural arts and community center, providing approximately 8,000 sq. ft. of space for community use. The project will also entail construction of up to 20 residential rental units and a surface parking lot. The plan was submitted for approval to the Avondale Community Council in late 2024. 8K is pursuing new-market tax credits for the project, with an anticipated start date of summer 2026 and completion sometime in 2027.

“The biggest challenge for this project will be meeting the project’s financial needs by building consensus between community organizations and local governments,” Chewning said.

Learn more about other 8K projects in the communities of West Price Hill and Evanston here.