Wednesday, March 23, 2022

What might be next for the former St. Emeric church and school property?

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of activity on the property that houses the former St. Emeric church and school on 13th Street and Avenue D. 

Workers have put up plywood on the 13th Street side of the parking lot on the site...
As we understand it, the church and school are slated for demolition. At this point, there are more questions than answers. (More on that below.)

Earlier this month, EVG contributor Stacie Joy explored the site...
At the deconsecrated church, which merged with St. Brigid on Avenue B in early 2013, few signs remain of its former usage. The church's signage (it used to say "For God And Country, 1953") has been chiseled away.   
And in the parking lot, workers were seen carting off barrels full of an unknown substance... with leftover red tape noting "Danger Hazardous Material" ... 
And at the school, which has an entrance on Avenue D and around the corner on 12th Street... 
The property includes ample parking... not to mention a greenhouse and a small garden.

A local church official, who was not authorized to go on the record, confirmed to Stacie that the former church and school would be torn down. In addition, the source said that the Archdiocese wanted to "move on" and "do something positive for the community, perhaps something like affordable housing."

The source was unaware if the property had already been sold. Given the proximity to the Con Ed plant and various public housing, the site likely wouldn't attract a developer for any luxury projects.
Here's an aerial view via Google...
And here's some history of the parish via Wikipedia:
The parish was established in 1949. The Rev. V. J. Brosman had a brick church built in 1949 to designs by Voorhees, Walker, Foley & Smith of 101 Park Ave. for $300,000. The cornerstone was laid in 1950. The church is now covered in ivy. A two-story school building was erected in 1952 to designs by the same architects for $240,000.
H/T to EVG reader QueenzEnglish for first alerting us to the construction!

 

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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 23, 2022 at 9:53 AM

    Looks like the SLUGO mosaic is gone from the crumbling retaining wall.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 23, 2022 at 6:17 PM

    They are missing the ultimate opportunity to open a Bubble Tea University with complete campus.

    ReplyDelete

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