Arts Center Secures $3.5M In Effort To Stop Demolition Of UWS Church

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — In the latest development in the fate of the landmarked West-Park Presbyterian Church on the Upper West Side, a community arts center that resides within the space just announced it has secured millions of dollars in pledges to stop it from being demolished and turned into an apartment tower.

The Center at West Park, a nonprofit community arts organization, announced Wednesday that it has secured $3.5 million to buy the building at 165 W. 86th St. from the West Park congregation.

“The Center for West Park shows that this important landmark is continuing to serve the community,” said Peg Breen, president of The New York Landmarks Conservancy. “We acknowledge that the building needs significant restoration, there is no doubt it can, and should be, saved.”

The saga of the historic Upper West Side church started last year, when the church's congregation made the decision to sell the crumbling house of worship to developer Alchemy Properties, which plans to turn it into an apartment tower.

The redevelopment of the space into a residential building would also include a church on the ground floor.

However, the sale is contingent on the original building getting completely demolished, something that cannot be done given the church's landmark status.

As a way around this, an attorney for the church filed a "hardship application" with the Landmarks Preservation Commission to remove its designation.

This prompted a series of disapproval votes by the Upper West Side community board on the West-Park Presbyterian's bid to lose its landmark status, but the decision will ultimately be left to New York City's Landmark Preservation Commission.

The Commission has already pushed its decision down the line, but is expected to meet soon about the Upper West Side church.

The Center for West Park's attempt to buy the church could change things.

Upon purchasing the property, the arts center says that it will launch a capital campaign to raise public and private funds to preserve and upgrade the building.

The arts center, along with elected officials Council Member Gale Brewer and Rep. Jerry Nadler, have launched and supported a campaign called "SAVE WEST PARK!" and are petitioning the Landmarks Preservation Commission to reject the presbytery's bid to demolish the building on the grounds of financial hardship.

The campaign says that West-Park Presbyterian did not do enough over the years to keep the church in good condition, and should not now be given a way out from the city.

The Center for West Park has been the prime tenant at the Upper West Side church since 2017, and has presented over 300 performances to more than 15,000 audience members.

The Center for West Park did not specify where the $3.5 million in pledges is coming from.

Read More

• UWS Community Board Says No To Local Church's Demolition Request
• Demolition Of Crumbling 132-Year-Old UWS Church? Local Board Votes No
• Opening Meeting Set For Upper West Side Church's Fate
• UWS Church Pushes To Lose Landmark Status To Save Building: Report