NYC Landmarks Commission Debates Sale and Demolition of Upper West Side Church

Battle to Save West Park Presbyterian Church

• 🏛️ The City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is considering the future of the West Park Presbyterian Church on the Upper West Side, which faces potential demolition.
• 🎭 Celebrities like Mark Ruffalo and Matt Dillon are publicly supporting the church, a 135-year-old structure built in 1868.
• 🏗️ The Presbytery of New York seeks to sell the church, citing tens of millions of dollars in needed repairs and financial hardship, to a developer for $30 million.

Proposed Deal and Community Opposition

• 💸 The sale agreement includes plans for a new high-rise, with worship space and at least $25 million designated for the Presbytery to use in underserved communities.
• 💰 However, Upper West Side residents and a theater group renting space in the church have raised millions for repairs, with approximately $12 million currently available.
• 🎨 Supporters emphasize the church's role as a community center, hosting classes, events, arts groups, and religious services, and argue it's a vital space for working artists.

LPC Decision and Precedent

• ⚖️ The LPC headquarters was the site of a packed hearing where community members voiced their opposition to demolishing the historic building, described as one of the last pieces of Romanesque architecture in the city.
• ⚠️ Hardship applications to the LPC are rare, with only 23 filed in the 60 years since the landmarks law was enacted; about half were approved and half denied.
• 🗓️ The commission's vote on this application is anticipated in the coming weeks, determining the fate of the historic church.