Developers want to convert this Northside Fort Worth church into an apartment complex
An Austin-based apartment developer is seeking Fort Worth’s blessing for plans retrofit an 82-unit apartment complex into a historic church in Northside.
O-SDA Industries aims to rezone the 2.6 acre property housing Primera Baptist Church for a “multifamily affordable housing development.” Public records as of Monday afternoon offer few other details about the project.
The North Fort Worth Baptist Church owned the site for much of the 20th century. Fellow Baptists Primera took over the complex in 1988, according to county property records.
The stone and beige brick structures that now span almost an entire block of Circle Park Boulevard were constructed in the early fifties. Much of the complex has discolored with time; birds nest behind the panels of its facade.
The church sits walking distance from several Northside neighborhood landmarks — a six minute stroll from Marine Park and a sixteen minute stroll from the community center.
Google lists Primera as “temporarily closed,” though the congregation still publishes lengthy live streams of its services on its Facebook page. O-SDA Industries organized two community meetings in January, according to a pamphlet circulated online; the firm plans to meet with the Northside Neighborhood Association on Feb. 13 to discuss the undertaking.
