29-Story Building Planned Next To Landmarked Clinton Ave Church

CLINTON HILL, NY — A new 29-story apartment building could be built next to a landmarked church on Clinton Avenue. Developers filed plans to restore the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew and construct the new tower, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported.

Jeffrey Gershon, of Hope Street Capital, asked the city for a special zoning permit to allow them to build the tower at 550 Clinton Ave. while they restore the nearly 130 year old church, according to the Daily Eagle.

Plans call to build a 312-feet concrete and glass tower next to the church designed by Morris Adjmi Architects with a rooftop-tower overlooking Atlantic Avenue, according to the documents filed with the Landmark Preservations Commission.

As part of the work, the developers would restore the facade of the church replacing the brownstones, copper gutter and replace the sheet metal cross on the top with a new copper one, according to the plans.

The Italian Romanesque-style church was designed by John Welch and built sometime between 1888 to 1891, the LPC said. It was protected as a landmark by the city in 1981.

The church was damaged in a 2012 "suspicious" fire fueled by gasoline containers for Hurricane Sandy relief that burned the wooden doors and foyer, the New York Times reported.

The developers presented the plans for the renovation of the church and new building at the LPC's meeting this week, but the agency declined to vote on it until they change the church repairs, according to the Daily Eagle.

Image: Landmark Preservation Commission