The Upper West Side's tussle over the fate of a landmark church has escalated, with the local community board rejecting an application to demolish the 135-year-old West Park Presbyterian Church. Community Board 7's decision, voting 25-15, aligns with preservation advocates who have been vehemently fighting to save the historic structure, Patch reports. The question of whether the cherished Romanesque Revival edifice should make way for new development has sparked a high-profile conflict involving celebrities and local parishioners.
The backdrop of this drama involves not just structural scaffolding, but financial strains that have battered the small Presbyterian congregation, according to Gothamist. Church officials argue that the cost of repairs is insurmountable. An independent expert hired by the landmarks commission pegged these basic renovations at a whopping $9 million. In contrast, an offer from a luxury developer to purchase the property for $50 million presents a potentially transformative windfall for the congregation, which has seen its membership dwindle.
Rallying around the cause to preserve the building, the Center at West Park—a community arts center that was evicted from the church earlier—garnered the support of celebrities like Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson, raising millions to save and restore the church. "The Center at West Park and our supporters will continue to demonstrate both our capacity and commitment to repairing and restoring the Church, so it can remain a beacon of sacred space, community, social responsibility, and culture on the Upper West Side, serving all five boroughs," executive director Debby Hirshman said, as quoted by Patch. Despite the financial backing and a plan to revitalize the building, the future of the church remains uncertain.
In the face of such opposition, the church has argued that the landmark status of the building places an untenable burden on the small congregation. "The landmarking itself has really taken an enormous amount of value away from the church," church commission chair Roger Leaf asserted in an interview with Gothamist. The final say now lies with the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission, which will conduct a public hearing on December 9 to consider the church's hardship application and to decide on whether the church has any future other than demolition.
Amidst the preservation fight, the displaced Center at West Park has found a temporary home just two blocks from its original location, continuing its programs in partnership with another church.
