Permits have been filed for the demolition of adjoining buildings at 442 and 444 East 119th Street in East Harlem, Manhattan. Jieming Wang of Golani Development Group is listed as the owner behind the applications, with Ann Kowlessar-Amerali of Pop Top of NY Inc. as the filing representative. Plans for the new building to be constructed on the site have not yet been released.
444 East 119th Street, via Google Maps
442 and 444 East 119th Street were purchased in a single transaction in August. 442 East 119th Street is a church, and 444 is a row house with a brick exterior. The properties are a short walk from the 116th Street subway station, served by the 6 train.
The estimated cost of the demolition at 442 East 119th Street is $450,000 for a floor area of 11,739 square feet. The estimated cost of the demolition at 444 East 119th Street is $80,000 for a floor area of 6,500 square feet.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
Ooooof.
Shocking
This is a somewhat bland example of Romanesque Revival from the 1890s. As congregations disappear, there will be more and more of their properties for sale. Recently, a Christian Science church was mentioned as being turned into a museum. Not every structure rises to the level where reuse is justified.
This would be many small city’s most beautiful and cherished landmark church. Here it’s fill.
The Christian Science church, at the corner of 96th Street and Central Park West, is Landmarked, which limited what it could be used for.
I’m a Brooklyn item I’m still baffled at how many of these structures with irreplaceable architecture are not automatically land marked as museums I grew up in Vinegar Hill we had 3 churches similar designs all over 100 years old an within walking distance all torn down to make way for luxury housing not one was destined moderate or low income
Sad the 119 St Church is a landmark unbelievable 😢
Richardsonian Romanesque Revival is one of my favorite styles of architecture. However, there are far better examples than this church—the Natural History Museum is but one example. The church’s facade is so flat it could pass for painted stage scenery for some opera. The fenestration is poor. There are a number of churches like this that are essentially brick boxes with a decorative stone facade tacked on. Part of this is due to lot size limitations and the desire to use every foot of space.
What a beautiful construction!!!
“Crazy” it’s on demolition list!!!!
Are we absolutely sure they aren’t planning to preserve the facade and first 15 feet or so? They could build a new structure rising from it that kind of disappeared. That would be the best outcome here.
Awful idea. No building should have to rise to some level if its removal damages the public realm.
C’mon..Reject that permit!
Soon it will be a city with no churches happening all around the city demolishing beautiful structures that we will never see again RIP
Thousands of churches close each year and it will only accelerate. It would be a terrible shame to demolish or deteriorate into ruin these buildings, so finding different reuses is paramount to our history.
At least there will be photos on Yimby NY and others to document the church long after it is has been demolished and dumped into landfill!
Another Foriegn individual with money being allowed to destroy American history. This would not be allowed In EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Set aside the loss of a building building for a moment. Can we assume what might explain the six-fold cost of the church’s demo to the neighboring brick structure is that they may be carefully salvaging as much of the stone and carved stone elements as possible? I sure hope so. It is truly barbaric to throw materials like this is a gravel pit.
“beautiful building”
Unless the building poses an environmental hazard, how are you even allowed to file for a demolition permit without proof of any plans for what you intend to build next? I hope this application is tossed out, and I hope this E. Harlem community intends to fight these Queens-based developers, tooth and nail.
This is truly shocking, from any POV. This Church of the Holy Rosary is one of the two most historic Catholic Churches in Harlem. The other is Our Lady of Mt. Carmel on East 115th St. Together they were fundamental elements of the Catholic immigrant communities that lived there, Germans and Irish first, and then Italian and Puerto Rican. How could the church just sell it off like that? It should have been turned into some kind of community outreach facility involving the church with the neighborhood social needs.
The reason the church was sold was for lack of money to operate it due to declining attendance. There would clearly be no money to operate something else at the site. Denominations are almost all in a period of contraction. If you search for religious properties for sale, there are many hits.
Exactly
Deny, Deny