Historic Church Faces Teardown Under Housing Plan: Permit

FORT GREENE, BROOKLYN — A historic, long-shuttered church is finally slated for the wrecking ball, as architects plan to build an 11-story development in its place, applications show.

Permits to demolish the St. Michael-St. Edward Church, located near Fort Greene Park at the edge of the Ingersoll Houses, were filed Tuesday, several months after the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced plans to turn the deteriorating house of worship into an apartment building.

The Diocese of Brooklyn closed the 19th century church in 2010, when it began falling apart from the inside, and merged the parish with the nearby Mary of Nazareth Parish — part of its citywide, cost-saving consolidation efforts during that time.

Plans to turn the church into a new development were first filed in December, and, as of Thursday, are still awaiting the Department of Building's approval before moving forward.

The proposed apartment building, which is being designed by Aufgang Architects — a firm with many luxury buildings throughout the city — will primarily include residences, 105 as planned, as well as an as-yet undefined "community space," plans show.

Addressed as both 96 and 108 St. Edwards Street, the proposed development will stand adjacent to Stonewall House, New York City's first (and the nations largest) LGBTQ+ friendly housing development for seniors.

Reached for comment on the development the Diocese of Brooklyn said the community space will not be for its religious use.

"This worship site has been closed for more than a decade, and the redevelopment plans will bring much needed housing to this community," a spokesperson said.

When asked about preservation efforts the spokesperson added: "All religious property of this church has been successfully removed. It is now in storage and is available to other religious sites."