1917 Church in small town and its sitting empty

[John Murphy]

I live in a small town population 5,000 and I bought an old house and old church.    The church is next door to the house and is located on a busy street in the heart of town.  It's a historic building and the location is such that everyone in town drives by this church on a daily basis and I think the community would be supportive of doing something with the church due to it's location and it's a shame to see it sitting empty and not in use which is what has happened these past couple of years before I bought it.

The building is 4 or 5 ft about ground.  There are 10-12 steps to climb just to go into the church.

The church is zoned residential.  There is little or no parking.  The church is large building about 2,300 sq ft with tall ceilings 20 ft +.  The full basement is unfinished.  The church is across the street from a nice well kept school with plenty of street parallel parking.  The school does not have a parking lot - just the parallel parking on the street.  It's a K-8 school and so there are no students driving to school and so it just doesn't need a lot of parking etc.

I haven't decided what to do with the church.   It's a tall building with wood siding and probably 50 ft to the top of the steeple.  High school seniors have their picture taken in front of the church and sometimes couples have their engagement picture taken sitting on the steps of the church or standing at the church doors etc.

  It's located in a residential area and for example if I were to offer it as a wedding venue, it could not be used for a night time wedding dance as this would disturb the neighbors.

Three bedroom apartments rent for $750.

I do not want to go to the expense of turning it into a duplex or triplex.

I do not want to go to the expense of turning it into a home.

Has anyone else done something like this?

I think there are many empty churches out there. 

A church builds a new facility and the old church sits there empty.

Often a church just "doesn't make it" and they close the doors and it sits there empty.

What would you do with it?