St. Luke’s Vision Gives Rise to Spiritual Construction Work 

If you find yourself at the corner of 30th and Gunn Streets in North Park on a Sunday morning, you are likely to hear the unmistakable sound of joy. The uplifting music that wafts across the patio and lovingly tended garden beds at St. Luke’s North Park may be sung in Arabic, Swahili, or English and accompanied by keyboard, percussion, and dancing. And while the joyful music and dancing will continue, the congregation of St. Luke’s has embraced a new spiritual call and signed a ground lease with Rise Urban Partners to develop its corner lot to create affordable homes in one of San Diego’s most vibrant neighborhoods.

The development is not the first transformation the corner lot has undergone in recent years. Ten years ago, the community garden was occupied by a mission-style chapel that had been relocated from All Saints’ Hillcrest in 1924. The Diocese and congregation initially worked with the historic preservation community to relocate and restore the chapel but ultimately accepted that they would need to demolish the building when they could not find a buyer. The chapel’s demolition created space for St. Luke’s to expand its participation in an urban farming and culinary arts job training program for refugee women and youth. 

In the next few months, St. Luke’s vision of redeveloping the property will take new shape as the corner lot is transformed into a construction site. When finished, what is now the community garden will become home to a 78-unit multifamily residential building of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units reserved for households earning an average of no more than 60% of the area median income. In approximately two years, new neighbors will experience the joyful sounds of music wafting out of St. Luke’s each Sunday morning. 

In many ways, these last 10 years have been an extensive period of reflection and renewal. In 2018, church leaders could see that many members of the congregation—many who are immigrants and former refugees from East Africa—were struggling to keep up with rising rents. St. Luke’s leaders also recognized that city officials had identified North Park as a prime location for development and, with the congregation, embraced their role as stewards of the land for the good of the community. 

After soliciting proposals from affordable housing developers, St. Luke’s entered into an option agreement with Rise for a 99-year ground lease to develop the site. Since then, Rise has been working with architects and engineers to refine the project concept, coordinate permitting and approvals, and secure funding commitments.  

“St. Luke’s North Park location made it a natural fit for apartments affordable to low-income individuals and families,” said Rev. Colin Mathewson. “I know it will start to feel real when construction starts, and I’m looking forward to the day that St. Luke’s can be part of welcoming people into their new apartments. With God’s help, what a blessing this will be for the church and the neighborhood!” 

Last year, Rise approached St. Luke’s about applying for public funding that required a lien on the property to ensure the project’s long-term affordability. To offset the lien, St. Luke’s and Diocesan governance bodies agreed to accept a one-time, up-front lease payment of $2.2 million. The developer also agreed to fund the drawing of new parcel maps, creating a distinct parcel for the new development, prior to finalizing the ground lease. City officials approved the new parcel map in Fall 2024, and concept designs have been shared with the congregation.  

The next steps include a construction kickoff meeting followed by an official groundbreaking event. Rise also plans to involve the congregation in naming the project and ensuring that the building colors, textures, and interior design reflect the congregation’s cultural connection to East Africa. And while fair housing laws prevent Rise from setting aside units specifically for St. Luke’s members, eligible individuals and families will be encouraged to apply when the development nears completion. In addition, the upfront ground lease rent will be held in trust, from which St. Luke’s can draw a percentage of the earnings each year to fund its ministry in the community. 

The Mission Real Estate program is also helping several other churches explore development opportunities that advance their ministries of mercy, justice, and evangelism in ways that fulfill unmet community needs and enhance their long-term sustainability. Churches that commit to the program receive support with congregational and community engagement, property research, feasibility studies, and the identification and selection of development partners. To learn more, contact Jessica Ripper, Mission Real Estate Portfolio Manager, at jripper@edsd.org.