Phoenix Hill Church reopens as luxury apartments and lofts

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville church built in 1867 is now the home to dozens of high-end, upscale apartments.

Maven @ 806 in the Phoenix Hill neighborhood officially held its grand opening Wednesday, although some tenants have been living there for several months.

While it is new on the inside, the old charm from the 1800s is not far away.

"We built essentially a building inside of a building," said Josh Lindley, senior vice president of acquisitions at Haven Residential. "I am very excited about this project. It has been a lot of fun. It has been very challenging. But, more importantly, I am excited that it’s done."

Along with one- and two-bedroom apartments, there are four two-story lofts, each with high-end finishes, a den and towering original windows leading up to a literal cathedral ceiling that's nearly 50 feet high.

"The rafters, specifically, were actually hidden by curb ceiling that was originally constructed which had beautiful frescos painted," Lindley said.

Many of those frescos were saved and positioned on walls in common areas of the building. Digital photos were taken of frescos that could not be saved and instead are now large photos displayed in hallways.

Throughout the building are old photos of nuns that worked in the church years ago and a large image of the flooding of 1937 that surrounded the building.

The hallways have the original exposed brick while common areas have wallpaper created by a local artist. And outside is a large courtyard that features a firepit, lots of landscaping, and a dog park.

Prices for 600-square-foot units start at $1,000 while the two-story lofts are $2,100. Much of the church already leased out.

"This really won’t reflect a large return of investment for our investors," Lindley said. "But it is a historically significant building that was not in use for over 50 years. And I am just happy to be a part of putting it back to use."

For more photos and availability, click here.