LAWRENCE — Plans to turn the former St. Anne Church and its parish hall into centers for the performing arts are in danger of falling by the wayside, and the property is up for sale again.
St. Anne's is back on the market for $1.2 million — $175,000 less than the $1.375 million developers Ray Cloutier and brothers Robert and John DeRossas paid for the more than 100-year-old property at Haverhill and Franklin streets three years ago.
They envisioned building a performing arts center with an art gallery and a stage that would rival the Rogers Center at Merrimack College and Collins Center and Andover High School. They'd have concerts ranging from classical to bluegrass music, theater and ballet, dance performances and fine arts exhibits.
The former parish hall is now used by the Lawrence Boxing Club.
"Banks and lending institutions are not providing loans for this type of project," Cloutier said about the current economic climate. Also, he said neither he nor his partners foresaw that the new Lawrence High School would have a state-of-the art, 1,257-seat auditorium.
Despite these things, Cloutier is holding out hope that someone will come along to turn the red brick building into a hub for the arts.
"This is a beautiful building that should be restored for people to enjoy," he said.
"We were hoping a nonprofit group would come along, maintain it and run it. We want to attract a buyer that would utilize it as a performance center," he said.
The developers had hired theater consultant Don Hirsch of Vermont to design the facility, which also could be used for banquets, weddings and conferences.
Hirsch, who worked for a year planning the performing arts center, does not believe the art venue at Lawrence High would be too much competition.
"You could have a couple of centers in town and not compete with each other," Hirsch said. "I found them to be a real welcoming thing for the public."
Hirsch said he is disappointed the project did not materialize.
"Whenever I work with something like this they become like my children," he said. "I get excited when I can do something for a community and see it serving such a diverse group of people."
Hirsch said the project at St. Anne could have been a moneymaker because it could have generated revenue from weddings and other events.
"I just saw it as a spark for the downtown," Hirsch said. "I'd love to have seen it done, glistening, and full of people."
Community Development Director Michael Sweeney said he also hates to see the building vacant.
"Any building for sale is a disappointment to me," Sweeney said. "But it has potential of being developed because the building is attractive. I don't anticipate it being vacant too long."
Thomas Schiavone, the city's chief economic development director, sees St. Anne's sale as a chance for new venture in Lawrence.
"This is a fresh opportunity for prospective buyers to take a hard look at the property and look at the best solutions for the site, the neighborhood and the city," he said.
One group that would be affected by the church's sale is the Lawrence Boxing Club.
Five days a week, boxing enthusiasts ranging in age from 11 to 34 train in the former church hall.
"We're glad to be here and happy that they donate the space to us, and we'd like to continue here," said Mel Peabody, who runs the club.
Meanwhile, Peabody is already looking for another place to move his club — again. It was on Amesbury Street for 10 years until that site closed. He then moved it to Manchester Street, but was forced out of that location due to a leaky roof.
"We are here now, but who knows what is going to happen," said Peabody, who trains up to 40 amateur boxers.
St. Anne Church was established in 1906 to serve the spiritual needs of French Canadians. The church closed in 1991.
