A 'Landmark' designation was supposed to shield the 132-year-old West Park Presbyterian Church from developers, but that protection is proving to be tenuous. “The congregation…has in fact run out of money by attempting to keep up this landmark building.'
The Upper West Side's West Park Presbyterian Church, designated for preservation just 12 years ago, could lose its "landmark" status, paving the way for the 132-year-old church to be demolished, in favor of a mixed development featuring high-rise apartments and a new church, along with meeting space for community cultural and arts groups.
“Essentially what's happened is that the congregation of the West Park Presbyterian Church has in fact run out of money by attempting to keep up this landmark building,” said Roger Leaf, a trustee of the Presbytery of New York City, who serves as chair of the West Park Administrative Commission, the governing body of the church.
In 2021, Center at West Park offered to buy the building, wrote Zachary Tomlinson, the group's artistic director, in an email, “and we are still open to buying the building so that it can be preserved. Our offer to buy the building included taking on full responsibility for preserving the facade and reserving space for WPPC to continue services and programs in the building.
On a recent weekday at the church, administrators at the Center at West Park watched as an artist prepared on stage for an upcoming show, ColorSynth. The artist, lighting designer Nicholas Houfek, sat before his laptop, as a Bach cello suite came out of the little speakers. “There are many organizations for the arts that were bigger than us that are doing way worse,” Katerinopoulos said. “It's very sad that we were able to push through and are in a position to potentially have to close because our landlord wants to displace an active community for 12 congregants that have no place to worship.”
Leaders of West Park Presbyterian Church contend that it would cost $50 million to repair the building.Leaders of West Park Presbyterian Church contend that it would cost $50 million to repair the building.“Landmarking was approved basically because Gail [Brewer] was able to convince the other commissioners that there would be sufficient money raised within the community,” said Brashear, who has since retired.
“Synagogues and Churches, in seeking to address mounting needs in every local community, have come to find themselves increasingly confronted by the Landmarks Preservation Commission,” read the report. “At best, this has resulted in significant delay and increased the cost of proposed renovation and development programs.”
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