A 110-year-old church complex in Cincinnati's Evanston neighborhood that neighbors once fought to save from demolition is now headed to the auction block, with bidding opening at just $150,000. The former St. Mark Catholic Church at 3500 Montgomery Road will be offered through an online Crexi auction running from October 26 through October 28.
The sale, which the Cincinnati Business Courier reported before the Cincinnati Enquirer, marks a dramatic turn for a property that community members rallied to protect just a few years ago. Blue Ash-based Astonish Commercial Real Estate Services is managing the transaction, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier, which reports the auction carries an undisclosed reserve price above its $150,000 opening bid.
The 47,534-square-foot complex sits on nearly 2.4 acres and includes the church sanctuary, a 130-foot bell tower, a rectory, and a connecting bridge between buildings, per the Enquirer's reporting. The sanctuary itself was designed in 1916 by architect Henry J. Schlacks, who modeled it after the 12th-century Santa Maria in Trastevere and Santa Maria in Cosmedin basilicas in Rome.
A Preservation Fight That Delayed the Wrecking Ball
The building's survival has never been guaranteed.
A neighborhood-led preservation campaign pushed back against the threat of demolition, and Cincinnati City Council designated the complex a local historic landmark on December 1, 2021, city records show.
Developer's $21.8 Million Vision Ran Out of Money
Commercial real estate firm Kingsley + Co., founded by former NFL player Chinedum Ndukwe, bought the complex from the Archdiocese for $650,000 in an all-cash deal in December 2022, the Business Courier reports. In June 2023, the Ohio Department of Development awarded the project $2 million in Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits toward a planned $21.8 million conversion into a community hub, event venue, and business incubator that would have added a teaching laboratory and additional event space.
The ambitious plan ran into a capital stack shortfall. To bridge the gap, the developer took out a short-term $395,000 mortgage loan in September 2023 from Florida-based Titan Funding, which was later extended through March of this year. Public records show no official release of that mortgage ahead of the Crexi listing, according to the Business Courier's review of the filings.
Zoning Still Stands in the Way of Redevelopment
Whoever wins the auction will inherit the same regulatory hurdle that complicated Kingsley + Co.'s plans. The 2.36-acre property remains zoned SF-2 for single-family residential use, meaning any commercial, institutional, or multi-family redevelopment would require local zoning approvals or variances, according to CommercialSearch's listing analysis. Combined with the landmark status governing the historic sanctuary, that zoning restriction leaves a narrow path for whatever comes next at 3500 Montgomery Road.
