When a city is first founded, one of the first buildings is a church. So you end up with mainline denominations and the Catholic church a century later owning lots of prime real estate in the center of the city.
In urban America, as shopping districts in ghetto neighborhoods die, abandoned storefronts become churches. That is why black neighborhoods seem to have practically a church on every block. In my old urban neighborhood the Protestant churches around used to be a bank, two bars, a plumbing supply store, a hair care salon, and an old Italian social club. If these neighborhoods are to be returned to the tax rolls, a lot of those churches are going to have to be closed.
I'd still like to see them go after St. Patricks Cathedral or something like that in the heart of a BLUE state!~}
The hypocracy that would flow out of something like that would be a thing of beauty to watch unfold.