The leveling of St. Peter’s Church on North State Street is nearly complete after more than a week of demolition.
By Friday morning, all that remained was a pile of rubble and the former steeple.
The church, part of the Christ the King Parish, was built in the 1950s, according to city records, and sported a distinctive A-frame style roof. It is still owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, but Concord developer Jonathan Chorlian has had a purchase and sale agreement on the property since 2017. Once the demolition is complete, he plans to build a “pocket community,” including several cottages and converting the historic mansion and carriage house into residences.
Last year, members of the Heritage Commission and Demolition Review Committee debated the historic value of the building and whether it could be repurposed instead of destroyed, according to meeting minutes. The Demolition Review Committee voted 2-1 in favor of considering the building “historically or architecturally significant” and never signed off on the demolition permit, minutes reflect.
The city’s zoning administrator must issue a permit regardless of whether the committee signed off on the permit after 49 days. That time period is meant to explore alternatives. If none is found, the applicant can tear the building down.