The city has denied demolition permits for the church and three other buildings, but the developer has appealed that decision. (Steve Patterson)

An 80-year-old Romanesque church in St. Louis might not be standing by this spring if a developer is allowed to build on its site.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis sold St. Aloysius Gonzaga last fall to local developer Wohlert Company LLC, which plans to replace the complex's six buildings with 25 single-family residences sometime this spring.

"We've built other homes in the area, and the archdiocese wanted the church and all of its outbuildings torn down," says James T. Wohlert, project manager.

According to the archdiocese's office of communications, its parishioners support demolition because they do not want to see the church complex used for another purpose.

While the demolition of two of the church buildings, the c. 1962 school and one outbuilding, has already been approved, preservationists are still waiting to see whether the city's preservation review board approves or denies the rest of Wohlert's demolition permits. They are hoping for a repeat of the Dec. 19 preliminary review meeting, when the board denied demolition permits for the church, rectory, gym, and convent. Wohlert has appealed that decision.

Designed by architects Ludwig and Dreisoerner and built in 1925-26, the church closed last year, along with 29 other Catholic churches, after parish enrollment decreased to 315 families. The church's highest enrollment was 800 families in the 1950s. A report on the church, written for the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, describes the property as "one of the best examples of urban planning by a parish in the entire city."

Based on a neighborhood survey, however, "the majority is in favor of new development," says Dana Gray, executive director of the Southwest Garden Neighborhood Association.

Steve Patterson, a St. Louis real-estate agent who has been documenting the church's fate on his Web site, claims he's heard from many residents who never realized they had any say in the demolition. "There are a lot of people who are wanting to save the buildings," he says. "The demolition of the church will mean the loss of a very unique urban setting—a rarity in the area."

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