As expected, the Archdiocese of New York has struck a deal to develop the block-long property on 13th Street and Avenue D that formerly housed the St. Emeric church and school.
A collaborative effort involving Community Access, Spatial Equity, Duvernay + Brooks, and the Cooper Square Committee is reportedly launching this project to provide homes for seniors and formerly homeless individuals, including those with special needs who qualify for supportive services.
Under the terms of the deal, the developers would create 570 affordable housing units across the full-block site. The project calls for two towers, one measuring 240,000 square feet and the other 570,000 square feet. Up to 60% of the homes will be reserved for homeless New Yorkers.
And...
The first phase of construction will be as-of-right and kick off in 2026; the team may pursue a rezoning for the second phase. Any change in zoning would require the project to go through the uniform land use review procedure (ULURP).
The now-deconsecrated church, founded in 1949,
merged with St. Brigid on Avenue B in early 2013. The site adjacent to the Con Ed power plant includes a former school building, greenhouse, and large parking lot.
In March 2022, a local church official who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed that the former church and school would be torn down. The source also told EVG's Stacie Joy that the Archdiocese wanted to "do something positive for the community, perhaps something like affordable housing."
The Archdiocese previously went the luxury route, selling two former East Village churches for over $80 million in recent years.
The link below has more background on this story...
Previously on EV Grieve: