Church to be redeveloped for residential

Work has started on the redevelopment of a derelict former Catholic church in the east end of Leeds city centre into apartments.

Developer S9 Construction is on site with the project at Mount St Mary’s, and is scheduling completion in 2026.

Leeds property investment agent, Aspen Woolf, is handling off-plan sales of the 175 apartments. The church was built in 1851 but has been derelict for more than 30 years. It served as an orphanage and housed over 3,000 children between 1863 and 1953. It was originally built in the 1850s for Irish migrants who had come to escape the potato famine and settled in the Richmond Hill area of Leeds.

The renovation is being handled by Leeds architecture practice Den Architecture. The majority of the church’s interior will be renovated, including the church’s altar, which will be turned into a communal workspace area for residents.

Approximately half of the church will be demolished and replaced with a five-storey new development of apartments.

Prices start from £172,620.