By Andrew Macdonald
On Friday, a large excavator reduced the former Christian Science Church at the corner of South Park and Inglis streets and an adjacent reading room to rubble.

What’s left after the Christian Science Church was knocked down Friday in Southend Halifax. The Notebook photo.
The church, with roots in Boston, was built in the early 1900s, and the congregation is now going to rent space elsewhere in Halifax.
Following is a story on the sale of the church’s prime corner lot. This exclusive story ran in The Notebook on April 14, 2019. I have added pictures of the property taken Friday – showing just a pile of debris. There are also pictures in this story of what the church and reading room once looked like.
News Scoop: Christian Science Church Makes A Sale Of Corner Lot Official in Halifax South End
It’s official now, The Christian Science Church in South end Halifax is in the process of selling its property at the corner of South Park and Inglis streets adjacent St. Mary’s University, and its two buildings will be knocked down this month, The Notebook has learned.

Debris from the take down of Christian Science Church on Friday. The Notebook photo.
Back in April 2018, I published a news scoop, that the congregation was at that point considering a sale of the prime corner lot in Halifax’s south end.
Now, the church has just released a purchase and sales marketing brochure, suggesting the institutional zoned property could eventually host a five to six storey apartment or condo building.

The Christian Science Church is in play
The marketing purchase and sales report was given to The Notebook, and significantly the Christian Science Church is attempting to sell the property, without engaging a realtor or commercial brokerage firm.

The Christian Science Church on Inglis and South Park streets is in play
Elders with the dwindling congregation are looking at divesting of the property, and will be moving elsewhere, in a rented space within the city.
There is no dedicated pastor of the church. Instead, members of the congregation do the readings each Sunday.
The Christian Science Church was founded in 1879 in Boston and has had a Halifax presence on its current site since the beginning of the 1900s.
Among its founding principles is that sickness is an illusion that can be corrected by prayer alone, and that adherents should eschew visits to medical doctors.
Like many Western religions, the Christian Science church has an aging population.
A year ago, city councilor Waye Mason told The Notebook the land is zoned for institutional use. A developer who purchases the land would have to seek rezoning from Halifax Regional Municipality to erect an apartment or condo on the property.
“It would have to be rezoned to be redeveloped,” Mason told The Macdonald Notebook.
“I don’t see that site being considered for more than established residential,” says the regional councillor.
The prime corner lot sits on 9,800-square feet, and by the end of April, a demolition contractor, will knock down the church and a adjacent reading room building.
“Properties in this location don’t come on the market that often”, the church’s marketing brochure states. “The Christian Science Church has occupied this site at the corner of South Park and Inglis streets since the late 19th century”.
The marketing brochure notes engineering firm Strum Consulting reports slate is on the site at depths of two metres to four metres.
“A report was prepared by archaeologist Laird Niven, who concludes that this site was never used for human burials”, the church states.
“Park and institutional zoning can support the construction of a church or school building on an as of right basis”, says the church.
That is significant because it is likely that St. Mary’s University would also be interested in the property, given its location to the SMU.
The current property assessment is $676,800, says the church.
“Preliminary conversations with HRM staff indicate that if the property were no longer used as a church, the most logical new use would be multi-family housing, with a height of five to six storeys being considered”, states the church.
“If the buyer is interested in this option, they should approach HRM to re-designate the site, once the property is under agreement”, the church adds.
“This is an excellent site for a multi-family residential complex. The site is a four block walk from the grocery store (Sobeys), and a pharmacy (Sobeys and Shoppers Drug Mart), and has a coffee shop and convenience store within 100 metres. The hospital complex, St. Mary’s University and Point Pleasant Park are all an easy walk from this site”, says the church.
The civic address is 1018 South Park Street.
Jollimore Contracting has been hired to demolish the buildings towards the end of April.
The church is collecting bids on the property and the bid date closes at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30th, 2019.