UWS Church Pushes To Lose Landmark Status To Save Building: Report

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — It is an unholy decision.

Somehow finding $50 million to save a crumbling, iconic Upper West Side church, or appealing a landmark designation it never wanted and selling the house of worship to a developer who plans to turn it into an apartment tower.

In the end, the West-Park Presbyterian Church has made the difficult decision to appeal its landmark designation in an effort to sell the 140-year-old building to developer Alchemy Properties, Commercial Observer first reported.

The church is located at 165 West 86th St. (corner of Amsterdam Avenue).

West-Park Presbyterian currently has no pastor and a congregation of just 12, while also needing to spend $50 million to restore the deteriorating UWS building back to a point of functionality.

Given the seeming impossibility of this task, the Presbytery of New York City has approved the congregation's request on Monday night to redevelop the property. The church and Alchemy Properties have already reached an unspecified agreement on the building, according to Commerical Observer.

Crucially, the redevelopment of the space into a residential tower will also include a 10,000 square-foot worship space, Commerical Observer added.

In exchange for the development rights, the church would also get nearly $9 million to outfit the new worship space, according to the Commercial Observer.

However, the sale is contingent on the original building being completely demolished, which is where the complication of its landmark status comes into play.

Understanding How Its Landmark Designation Played A Part

Despite not wanting the designation, the West-Park Presbyterian Church was made an official New York City landmark in 2010.

The designation creates more hurdles for any renovation work done in the past or future, and also makes the property less likely to be bought by a new buyer.

"In the face of our steep financial challenges to address the church building's safety and maintenance needs, the congregation's only viable choice to support West-Park's ongoing mission is to pursue the sale of the property and the application to the Landmarks Preservation Commission to demolish the existing building on the grounds of financial hardship," a spokesperson for West-Park Presbyterian Church told Patch. "This plan ensures a new spiritual home for worship and community space that will help West-Park continue to be a resource for our neighborhood and fellow New Yorkers."

Following the approval of the sale to Alchemy, an attorney for the church filed a "hardship application" with the Landmarks Preservation Commission to remove its designation.

If you've never heard of that application, it is because it happens incredibly rarely.

Since 1965, there have only been 19 hardship applications filed with the commission, 13 have been approved, four denied, and two never voted on.

The crux of the approval or denial will come down in part to whether or not the church proves it poses a danger to its occupants and pedestrians walking by in its current crumbling form.

The Department of Buildings decided the facade of the UWS church was unsafe 20 years ago, ordering a sidewalk shed that has stood for the ensuing two decades, the Commerical Observer reported.

Before the LPC votes on the matter, there will be a public hearing and a Manhattan Community Board 7 hearing.

Patch has reached out to the West-Park Presbyterian Church for comment.