Syndicate content

Dear PlanNYC Users:

Thank you for visiting PlanNYC.

As of July 7, 2010, we have suspended daily news updating on this website, and will not be adding new developments or policy and legislative debates.

PlanNYC, a student-run website based at NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, has proudly served New Yorkers for five years. During that time, the growth of online information on land use and development issues, along with advances in technology such as RSS feeds and news alerts, have created many opportunities for New Yorkers to stay informed about housing and land use debates in the City. As a result, the daily news updating on this site has become less unique and less critical to our users.

We are pleased to keep the existing PlanNYC content online as a resource; all content on the site is current of July 6, 2010, but will not be updated after that date.

We hope you continue to use the data and research available at the Furman Center (which you can find at www.furmancenter.org), and we welcome your ideas and suggestions for how we can continue to provide objective information and analysis about land use and housing policy debates in New York City.

For additional information or questions, please email furmancenter@nyu.edu.

West-Park Presbyterian Church Tower

West-Park Presbyterian Church, located on Amsterdam Avenue and West 86th Street, has experienced a decrease in its congregation at a time when its debt continues to grow. The church, built in the 1850’s, is in need of millions of dollars of renovations to maintain the structure. Following in a line of charitable institutions attempting to shore up their finances by auctioning off their real estate rights, West-Park Presbyterian Church has considered allowing Richman Housing Resources to demolish a former chapel next to their main sanctuary and build a 21-story tower in its place. In exchange for the rights to sell dozens of the condos at the top of the tower, Richman would pay for the sanctuary’s renovation. In order to do this, the company set up an endowment for West-Park and has agreed to cover the majority of the tower’s construction costs. Alongside 27 market-rate condos, the tower would contain 50 rent-subsidized studio apartments for residents 55 years or older making less than $24,000 per year, along with church offices and community space.

The potential loss of the former chapel is troubling to many local residents and preservationists. Many neighbors, who fear the loss of their views over the low-rise church, have pledged to contribute $4 million to renovate the church and build a shorter new building without demolishing the chapel’s façade. Despite this financial commitment, the church has remained committed to moving forward with its original plans. Some in the community have also charged that the tower’s much heralded affordable housing will amount to segregation, with low-income residents of the tower entering the building through a different door than owners of market-rate condominiums (which would occupy the top floors of the building) and being barred from the tower’s gym, playroom, or media center.

After urging from several preservationists, in February 2009, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) agreed to calendar a hearing on potentially designating West-Park Presbyterian Church a landmark. If the church is given landmark status, the plan for the tower will not be able to move forward.

Last updated: March 3, 2009