Sales: 'Unique and endless' possibilities for this unique church on 4th Street

Through the years we've written about one of the most unique properties around — the San Isidoro y San Leandro Western Orthodox Church of Hispanic Mozarabic Rite at 345 E. Fourth St. between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Well, it's for sale ... again. Curbed first took notice of the new listing (and photos!). 

Per the listing at Leslie J. Garfield:

The possibilities are unique and endless at 345 East 4th Street. The property is currently configured as a former religious assembly space with 30' ceilings on the main floor, a mezzanine space, and an owner's apartment above. Delivered vacant and outside a historic district, with a total of 9,232 buildable SF, this property offers the opportunity to create a large community facility or a residential single-family home. The property presents a unique opportunity for a developer or an end user.

If you don't have the $5 million asking price, then it's also for lease. 

The property was originally listed in the fall of 2017 with a $6 million price tag. Per the listing at the time: "A new development (of 9,232 SF) could be residential single family/multi-family or Community Facility." There were air rights too.

According to public records, Patricio Cubillos Murillo (there are several variations of this name) is the building's owner, with a deed dating to September 1975. The document on file with the city shows that this building changed hands for $6,000 that year. His nephew is now said to be in charge of the property.

Here are two pics via the new listing...

And some history via Curbed:

It was built in 1892 for the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, which served the Slovak and Hungarian immigrant communities. In 1918, the building became a Russian Orthodox Church (the white-painted wrought iron entrance gate still has a crest with a double-headed eagle), and finally in 1975, a Western Orthodox Catholic Church that sought to practice Mozarabic liturgy, which was used by Christian communities living under Arab rule in early-Medieval Iberia (now Spain and Portugal). The Mozarabic Rite, also called the Hispanic Rite, is extremely uncommon outside of Spain.

The city declined to landmark the building a few years back.

There's hope that an arts organization might take it over... or the new owner could knock it down and build up using the 4,700 square feet in unused air rights.

The building to the east of the church recently sold. The former community center will be converted into residential use.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Unique 4th Street church on the market for development

Making the case to landmark this unique church on 4th Street

Village Preservation is making a case to landmark the San Isidoro y San Leandro Western Orthodox Church of Hispanic Mozarabic Rite at 345 E. Fourth St. between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Tonight, officials from Village Preservation will request support for the reconsideration of landmark designation for the church before Community Board 3's Landmarks Committee.

In response to information submitted by Village Preservation, the building was determined eligible for listing on the State and National Register of Historic Places in 2017. The group then submitted a request to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to consider landmarking the church. The LPC declined.

This fall, Village Preservation provided an extensive history of the church, which was built in 1891-92, on its blog Off the Grid. Here are excerpts...

This remarkably intact Gothic Revival church’s form, design, details, and history reflect the kaleidoscope of immigrants and ethnic groups which called the Lower East Side home and shaped New York over the last century and a quarter — making it not just architecturally significant but an embodiment of New York City’s and the East Village’s immigrant history.

and...

This structure was originally built in 1891-92 and designed by Edward Wenz for the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, serving the surrounding Slovak and Hungarian immigrant community. The church was the first national Slovak parish for the Slovak and Hungarian Catholics of New York and Brooklyn. Later the building was bought by the Russian Greek Orthodox National Association and became the Carpathian Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas.

It served the emerging Russian immigrant community in the early and mid-twentieth century, as evidenced by the royal seal of the Russian Czars located on the church’s front gates. After 1975, the church housed San Isidoro y San Leandro Western Orthodox Catholic Church of Hispanic Mozarabic Rite, a highly unusual Western Orthodox Catholic Church – seemingly one of the very few in America, and one of the few or perhaps only to practice the Mozarabic Rite.

And...

Churches and synagogues such as these, located on single lot sites filling the space of what was once a single home, were once found throughout the East Village and Lower East Side. They were reflective of the incredibly modest resources but bold ambitions of the immigrant communities they served. Increasingly few such structures survive today. The East Village remains woefully under-landmarked and therefore valuable historic resources such as these churches and synagogues are vulnerable to insensitive alteration and demolition.

The three-story building arrived on the sales market in the fall of 2017 with a $6 million price tag. Per the listing at the time: "A new development (of 9,232 SF) could be residential single family/multi-family or Community Facility." There were air rights too.

LoopNet shows that the listing was deactivated in April 2018.

According to public records, Patricio Cubillos Murillo (there are several variations of this name) is the building's owner, with a deed dating to September 1975. The document on file with the city shows that this building changed hands for $6,000 that year. I do not know when the church last held any type of mass here.

Here are two photos of the interior that I took in 2011 during one of the weekend rummage sales held in the space...





... and here's an interior shot via the Cushman & Wakefield marketing materials from 2017...



Tonight's Landmarks Committee meeting is at 6:30 in the JASA/Green Residence, 200 E. Fifth St. at the Bowery.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Unique 4th Street church on the market for development

Unique 4th Street church on the market for development

The three-story building — aka the San Isidoro y San Leandro Western Orthodox Catholic Church of the Hispanic Mozarabic Rite — on Fourth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D is for sale.

The listing for the address describes it as a "religious building" and "former religious assembly space" with potential use as either a single-family home or multiple units. There are unused air rights too.

Here's more about the sale via Cushman & Wakefield:

[T]he building sits on a 24’ x 96’ lot and contains approximately 4,502 SF above grade or 6,810 SF with usable lower level. 345 East 4th Street is in an R8B zone which allows for a total BSF of 9,232 (approximately 4,730 SF of unused air rights are intact).

A new development (of 9,232 SF) could be residential single family/multi-family or Community Facility. The building was formerly used as a religious assembly space and will be delivered vacant upon sale.

It is currently configured with a step-down usable lower level, a former religious assembly space with soaring ceiling height on the first floor which includes mezzanine space, and an owner’s apartment on the top floor. The lower level previously housed building mechanicals but is now used for general storage and can be accessed directly from the street or from the first floor. Lower level and first floor are built full on the lot while the top floor is approximately 51’ deep.

The former religious assembly space benefits from tremendous ceiling heights (20+’) and therefore lends itself well to a user looking for interesting space. The owner’s unit has four rooms plus a kitchen, full bathroom and outdoor roof space. Due to the impending vacancy, the property presents an exceptionally unique opportunity for a developer and/or end user.

Price: $6 million.

According to New York City Songlines, the San Isidoro y San Leandro Western Orthodox Catholic Church of the Hispanic Mozarabic Rite is "named for brothers who were successive bishops in Seville, circa 600 AD. Originally a Russian Orthodox Church, built circa 1895." I do not know when the church last held any type of mass here.

Here are two photos of the interior that I took in 2011 during one of the many weekend rummage sales held here...





... and here's an interior shot via the Cushman & Wakefield marketing materials...



According to public records, Patricio Cubillos Murillo (there are several variations of this name) is the building's owner, with a deed dating to September 1975.

The document on file with the city shows that this building changed hands for $6,000 that year. Here's the first page...


[Click on image for more detail]