"A decade ago, LPC landmarked the West-Park Presbyterian Church at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue over the congregation's clear and urgent objections. At the time, the structure was empty, without heat or running water, and had been surrounded by a sidewalk shed for over 10 years. The church had almost no resources to maintain the building, and it warned that landmarking would only accelerate both the building's and the congregation's decline."
"The Commission landmarked the building due largely to Councilmember Gale Brewer's emotional promises, much like those she made on Dec. 9, about the funding she could raise to pay for restoration. She and others again insisted that money would be raised, that grants would be secured, and that the congregation would not be left alone to shoulder the immense financial weight of restoration. Ten years ago, the Commission believed them. They shouldn't make the same mistake twice."
"As soon as the building was landmarked in 2010, Gale Brewer's support vanished, and the congregation was forced to dedicate all its resources to repairs instead of the ministry and social outreach for which it has been so widely praised. Not surprisingly, as the pressures of building maintenance grew, the membership rapidly declined. Its loss of pastoral leadership in 2017 was the final nail in the coffin."
Landmark designation of West-Park Presbyterian Church in 2010 occurred despite urgent objections from the congregation and while the building lacked heat, running water, and had been under a sidewalk shed for more than a decade. Councilmember Gale Brewer promised funding and restoration support that influenced the Commission's decision, but those commitments did not materialize after designation. The congregation redirected scarce resources to building repairs, membership declined, and pastoral leadership was lost in 2017, undermining the church's ministry and social outreach. A recent hardship hearing emphasized that preservation must not sacrifice sustaining the community institutions that occupy landmarked structures.
#historic-preservation #landmark-designation #religious-congregation-decline #funding-and-maintenance-burdens
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