The Westchester County Board of Legislators has approved purchasing the long-vacant site in New Rochelle that once was occupied by the Union Baptist Church so that an affordable housing project can be built. The legislature voted to provide $4.5 million toward the $5.3 million purchase price for 438 Main St., with the project’s developer 438 Main Street LLC providing the remaining $795,000. The church was destroyed by fire in 2011. The plan involves the county selling the property to the developer for $1.
“Westchester County senior citizens built this community, and they deserve to age here with dignity,” said Legislator Shanae Williams of Yonkers who is chair of the Board of Legislators’ Housing and Planning Committee. “This site, once a cornerstone of faith and community, will now be rebuilt on those same principles, transforming a property that sat vacant for nearly 15 years into a place of peace, comfort, independence, and affordability. This project delivers real solutions, creating homes where older residents can remain in the neighborhoods they love.”
The entity 438 Main Street LLC, was formed through a partnership between the St. Katherine Group and Kings Capital Group. The New Rochelle Planning Board gave approval to site plans back in November of 2022 with an administrative amendment in December 2024.
The Union Baptist Church was destroyed in a five-alarm fire on Feb. 14, 2011. The interior was gutted and the roof collapsed in the fire and the remains of the building were demolished. As part of the project, a new church and event space will be constructed for what is now known as The New Union Church of New Rochelle. The church portion of the development would be treated as a condominium and separately owned and operated.
The project’s cost has been estimated at $69 million. It was estimated by the developer that the project would result in there being only one additional student added to the enrollment of the New Rochelle Public Schools. The developer expects there to be approximately 120 temporary construction jobs created at the site. The new residential building would be expected to create one new full-time and six new part-time jobs.
As described by New Rochelle Development, the new building would be six stories at the corner of Main and Locust. There would be 115 independent living units, two retail spaces and a community room on the first floor, along with a 150-seat glass enclosed church on the sixth floor. The design calls for an L-shaped building with the residential portion entrance on Locust.There would be 80 parking spaces. The church would be accessed by doors off of Main to a vestibule and an elevator that can hold 25 people.
