Moline acquires abandoned properties to turn into housing

MOLINE, Ill. (KWQC) – An abandoned church and parsonage home on the corner of 14th and 26th streets were acquired by the City of Moline last year to convert them into residential housing.

After years of no services or church members, the buildings began to fall into disrepair. That’s when the city chose to get involved in order to help find a solution that would benefit citizens and the local neighborhood.

City Administrator, Bob Vitas, says one of the city’s top priorities is housing and they want to take an active role in seeing housing get built in the city.

“From the low to moderate housing to the middle income housing and beyond,” said Vitas, “there’s a shortage across the board.”

When the city discovered an old church and parsonage house left in disrepair a couple years ago, they made a persistent effort to acquire it. They completed the purchase late last year. After taking ownership, they sought proposals from contractors and secured a deal with Landeros & Sons Construction out of Moline to complete renovations and construction. They say the project could be done by 2026.

Vitas says they plan to redevelop the church itself into single family, redevelop that or basically rebuild the existing parsonage. Down the road they will discuss the possibility of a minor subdivision to allow for three single family homes to be built on the lots available.

Depending on market conditions, Vitas says the completed project could become affordable housing or sold at market-rate. Nonetheless, he says having the opportunity to rejuvenate a moline neighborhood is exactly what the city wants.

This basically fits that mold perfectly in terms of what we’re trying to do,” said Vitas, “either with existing buildings and bring them back to life, or empty parcels and seeing residential development happen on them.”

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