From the Daily News:The Diocese of Brooklyn wants to sell off Our Lady of Loreto, on Sackman and Pacific Sts., and let a nonprofit developer tear it down and build 88 affordable apartments on the site.
But an alliance of community activists, an Italian-American society and another developer are fighting to preserve the church and turn it into a community center - while building 102 affordable apartments on nearby church property.
Jeff Dunston, director of the North East Brooklyn Housing Development Corp., which is working with the community to save the church, said the alternative proposal would work if the diocese would give it a chance.
"We're a diverse team; we're two cultures that represent where Brownsville has been," said Dunston. "This church has survived the transitions of the community."
Not to pick on the News twice in one day, but I couldn't help but notice that within this article, there's...
No statement from the LPC.
No statement from the elected officials.
No statement from any citywide preservation group.
Hello? Where do the above stand on this? Would have been nice to include.
Well, I think this community should have no fear. The LPC just designated the West Park Church on the Upper West Side (an active church) over the objections of the congregation.
If it's good enough for the Upper West Side, it damn well better be good enough for Brownsville, where the community wants to repurpose and use the building that no longer has a congregation.
When Jake Pearson writes his follow up that better be the answer he gets from all three listed above as well as from Landmarks Pest!
I'll be watching this one closely.
11 comments:
I have to say as an American of Irish descent, Catholic Churches being demolished remind me too much of Cromwell or was that Lenin?
Either way, authoritarian leaders who spit on people, destroy their religion and culture and erase their tradition really are a terrible curse.
Some elected officials take forever to reply. Reporters have deadlines, you know.
Yes, and then the correct thing to do would be to write that you attempted to contact them but they didn't get back to you. Sometimes that speaks louder volumes than getting a quote.
Remember the Astoria Presbyterian Chruch, where a minster got a pension, lived in a parsonage, got full benefits, and a nice big salary to preach to 25 people on a Sunsday?
And the chruch was run down?
And all the politicans who could find a most a few thousand in our taxes to fund community groups, but somehow found millions to put in a 12 story senior warehouse on a block fo 3 story buildings?
Now the rest of the city just snickered, and said, well, that is Astoria, and we know all about THAT neigbhorhood.
Well guess what people? What does Crappy always say? What they do to Astoria will be in your back yard tomorrow?
Remember this in the Christian Science monitor?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1212/p01s03-ussc.html
Guess what? Chruches all over the country are now using this as a model.
Make sure you support HDC, MAS, the Landmarks Conservency, etc etc.
Doing a great job, don't you think?
The Sacred Sites Program at the Municipal Art Society is supported by grants written for NEW YORK CITY - as in FIVE borough NEW YORK CITY!
Can they give us a break down on how they spend their money by borough and ethnic/racial group?
As a matter of fact, why doesn each organization involved in preservation do that? eh?
Check out HDC's annual conference:
New Landmarks: Modern, Vernacular and Cultural Sites
(well I guess all the older historical places they wanted to landmark are landmarked - now we go after new buildings and Peurto Rican shacks in the Bronx)
New Audiences: Identifying and Partnering with Diverse Population
(ah ho! so Crappy is getting to them on charges that the preservation movement is so white bread and 1980s.
The solution, like Tar Baby, will make the problem worse.
The more diverse they get, the harder it will make that small elite Brookln Heigths-West Side elite control things - they ain't a Tammany machine full of street fighters you know)
Like Queens Crap is?
Yet another example of the built in racism in the preservation community.
This would never happen in the 'right' neighorhood.
Overturn the law so the haves are not subsidized by the have nots. Especially in this time of economic.
If I have to pay taxes, I want it spent in my nieghborhood to benefit me and my neighbors.
Thanks for opening up our eyes Crap!
They'll wind up saving just the facade and building high rise behind it like they did with a church a few blocks south east of Union Square.
(LOL) may the Lord be praised!
Movie set religion.
Just curious. Is the lady in the middle an entry for the America's Cup?
88 AFFORDABLE units starting at $300K ......just perfect for a 2 income professional family.
Affordable...HAH...nobody has a clue what that means anymore
Its Levittown.. plain basic housing, nothing fancy...
Find that in NYC
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