Workers are now on the scene putting up the scaffolding and construction netting around the church on East 12th Street... as these photos by EVG reader Greg Masters show... the church, which opened in 1917, is the last building on the property to be prepped for demolition...
...and an East Village resident shares an aerial view...
Previously.
20 comments:
Isn't it terribly sacrilegious to tear down God's house??
I can't believe this is happening. This huge demolition and later construction site will be such a pain in the ass for the neighbors.
Their God is $ and it's house are the banks.
Another mediaeval relic bites the dust.
it is the house of the god of luxury housing and that is a brutal uncaring god.
I would hope they at least took whatever they could out of the interior, like all the statues of the saints that lined the walls on either side. God, this is just. so. awful.
Churches are deconsecrated prior to demolition (something that happens everyday). It's just a building after that. This is a very nice building, and I'm sad to see it go. I'm even sadder to see what will replace it.
All that said; No love lost on "The Church".
No, it's not sacrilegious to tear down God's house -- not to the real estate developers.
see http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2007/08/st-anns-church.html
Oh, and what was that gospel according to Matthew (21:12-13), Mark (11:15-17), and Luke (19:45-46) says: My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.
I'm with Anon @ 2:37.
And to esquared, there's another verse you need: Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
You don't need a building.
the crocodile tears that fall around the exchanging of an asset between one imperfect, often corrupt institution and another would be amusing if it weren't for the sanctimony on display. If it were a 60/40 building with an interesting cultural institution on the ground floor I'm sure almost all the hand wringing about the demo would disappear. When the Church decided to unload real estate assets in New York they played like any other property owner and looked for the highest bidders for each site. Did government look to invest in these parcels for other kinds of use? no. Did affordable housing developers look for the kind of financing that would allow them to compete with Steiner or others who look to do market rate? No. Did community groups or neighborhood associations have the foresight or enterprise to organize and propose legally and economically realistic alternatives? No. Is this building of enduring architectural significance? No. Does its history shed light on a pivotal piece of local history (like St. Brigid's)? No. The hindsight grounded sanctimony around all this is tedious.
Oh, and there's also a gospel according to the son himself --
There are many churches in my name and in the name of my apostles. The greatest and holiest is named after Peter; it is a place of great splendor in Rome. Nowhere can be found more gold.
Good afternoon, nonetheless.
@Anon. 4:04 -Shut up and die, you tool of the real estate industry that is in the process of destroying what was once the greatest city on earth.
I hate how all the sanctimonious comments are by anons. I live on this street, and now I have to share it with more "luxury" folks who act like they own the neighborhood. Shame on a religious institution for not insisting on affordable housing! I'm sticking around until the end, which I know you'll tell me was years ago already.
12th Street will be sandwiched between 3 construction site soon with a new 7 story apartment building on 12 and B, and eight story building behind Sauer Park at 11th and now probably the biggest construction to hit the EV as to date on A at 12th. I am still waiting for the second shoe to drop and it will top all others on 14th street between A-B. A possible tower that will cast a shadow on Sty town and offer the rich views of Con ED.
Gojira, this is 4:04 of yesterday. Reading comprehension is not your strength. I don't thinking calling both the Catholic Church and the real estate industry corrupt makes me either a tool of the RE industry or worthy of death. I have lived in the EV for nearly 30 years and have no allegiance to anything other than a vibrant, affordable, idiosyncratic neighborhood and the organizing and vision it takes to achieve it. What rankles is peoples b.s posturing and sanctimony. Go out and organize a squat, put some skin the game and organize an economic or political alternatives to big RE using its scale to uncritically transform neighborhood. Self righteous rants against "tools" real or imagined doesn't do squat.
... just asking: How much of this process was made public to begin with? When the diocese (one may presume?) decided to put the buildings up for sale, did they put out an issuance to all parties? I don't remember seeing a for sale sign, just reading that a deal was in the works, and the property would be demolished.
I'm not sure that too many non-profits or other community organizations could afford to have skin in a real estate game that has gotten this big. Those days are ovah...at least around the EV.
And no angel flew up (as happened with St. Brigid's) to this plate...
It's never been a secret...The Archdiocese began to talk publicly about selling big chunks of their NY real estate as long ago as early 2005.
http://www.nysun.com/new-york/archdiocese-eyes-a-large-sell-off-of-ny-property/7335/
CBRE And Massay Knakal are just two of the big time real estate players who have been publicly advertising/deal making for the shrinking church ever since. I'm sure the Church looked to keep any specific dealings on the down low, but it would have hardly taken Woodward and Bernstein to figure out that this property was a prime candidate for sale and to get in the mix or protest or kick up some dust if they anyone really wanted to.
Terrible..tearing down HOUSE OF WORSHIP IS BAD NEWS.
So sad to see a lovely church go to the wrecking ball. Especially when the opposite replaces it- greed, luxury and commercialization. A pox on you greedy RE developers!
And God bless us, every one!
(especially to 4:04, which is very fitting. Divine intervention?)
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