One of the oldest churches in Sault Ste. Marie is up for sale

The Central United Church building on Spring Street, built in 1911, can be yours for $799,000.

Diane Marshall is chair of the church's council, and has been going to the Sault Ste. Marie church for 67 years.

“It’s a very sad point for our congregation," Marshall said.

"Many of them have been here for many, many years and it is their church and their wonderful building -- their beloved Central.”

She said the building is too costly to maintain. The congregation has shrunk in recent years, from a peak of 500, to just 150, meaning it's harder to raise funds to cover expenses.

“There are less people to do fundraising," Marshall said.

"There are less people to support our church.”

The cost just to keep the lights and heat on are high – as much as $18,000 a year for heating, another $8,000 for electricity, she said.

Salvatore Marchese, the Downtown Association's executive director, said the century old structure means a lot to the city and its people.

Marchese said he hopes the new owners allow the public to appreciate the architecture of the building, from the exterior and interior.

"When you're looking at a lot of these historical buildings that are going up for sale or to be used for other things, we just always want to make sure that we're taking a proper heritage lens to it to make sure we aren't losing a part of the history," he said

The nearly 15,000-square-foot building is being sold by Century 21 Realty. Realtor James Caicco said he has sold churches before, but few have the potential of this building.

“I think it could be used institutionally again by some sort of institution, or it could be repurposed commercially or residentially," Caicco said.

"Really, everything’s open.”

The Central United congregation is currently looking for a space that better suits its size.

Marshall said they may be able to reach an arrangement with the next owner for usage on Sundays.