The congregation that has occupied the building since 1910 will still be there, on the ground floor and the basement level. In fact, the condominium deal has allowed the synagogue and its building to survive.
Two of the apartments include the synagogue’s original, newly restored stained-glass windows, and one also has an original door, now with glass cutouts to let in light, as part of a living room wall.
As part of the current agreement, the developers are providing at least $20,000 annually to the congregation for the next 198 years, in addition to a $600,000 payment up front. East River is also giving the synagogue a $180,000 “fit-out allowance” for the synagogue to design and rebuild the sanctuary and other spaces, like offices or meeting spaces in the basement.
The developers received permission to bump up part of the roof a little to create the second level of the penthouse, though the change is not visible from the sidewalk.
“This is the kind of PR that Tishman and CWCapital have been putting out that people are sending us that. We’ve never received this kind of thing — this is what they think this neighborhood is? What if you sent your kid down to get the mail? We do not want to be known as the sperm bank neighborhood. I think the new people (Blackstone) should know about this. They bought a sperm bank.”
#TisTheSeason2015 for getting into the #holidayspirit at the @NYPD9Pct pic.twitter.com/QJHvprlWUi
— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) December 10, 2015