Former St. Lad’s Church is once again up for sale

St. Ladislaus Church has been closed for a few years, and the building is still up for sale. But the Detroit Archdiocese has a restriction on what the property can be used for. File photo

By Charles Sercombe
It’s got some wear and tear from its long history, and it’s for sale.
The former St. Ladislaus Church is back on the market, still searching for a new owner.
Yes, a new owner. Two years ago, the Detroit Archdiocese decided to close down the church because there weren’t enough parishioners to make it financially viable to remain open.
Those parishioners were invited to join the St. Florian Parish.
About a year ago, local investors bought the Caniff property, but a proposal to turn it into a medical center fell through.
So, once again, the possibilities of what the building could be used for are open to your imagination.
But, there’s still one caveat about entering into a sale. The Archdiocese has a restriction on what it can be used for: they won’t allow an “un-becoming use.”
Just precisely what that means is unclear, but, according to Hamtramck-based real estate agent Ben Bawazir, “un-becoming use” means, for one thing, it can’t be turned into a non-Christian house of worship.
Which means that turning it into a mosque is forbidden.
That played a factor, said Bawazir, in a few offers being withdrawn.
“There were a lot of requests to open it as a mosque,” he said.
It also might mean that converting the building into a nightclub that serves alcohol is also forbidden – an idea that a few local folks have kicked around recently.
The building was constructed in 1952, when Hamtramck’s population was still soaring — at that time, around 50,000 people.
A lot has changed since those days. Hamtramck’s population eventually declined to about 18,000 in the 1980s, and the city’s Catholic population, which was most of the residents in the town at one time, had moved on to the suburbs.
The asking price for the building is $1.1 million, and it comprises about 5,600 square feet, and includes 20 parking spaces next to it. That parking lot is shared with a charter school, Caniff Liberty, which owns another 20 parking spaces on the other half of the parking lot.
As for the restrictions on use, Bawazir said you could always challenge it in court.
Of course, that has no guarantee to succeed, and would also cost money for legal fees.
In the meantime, Bawazir said the relisting of the church has spurred “a lot of calls, but no serious offers.”
Interested?
You can reach Bawazir at (313) 424-9962.
Posted March 20, 2026