stgeorgesdemo2.jpg
68goldst1107.jpgWe’re sad to report that Brooklyn is in the process of losing another piece of history, as demolition is set to begin on St. George’s Church at 203 York Street in Vinegar Hill. (Workmen on site confirm that the entire structure is coming down.) The 10,000-square-foot church and adjacent 5,000-square-foot parish hall were purchased from the Roman Catholic Diocese on October 24 by the Tocci family, a long-time landowner in the area, for $3,200,000. The Toccis, formerly proprietors of a waste management business, already have an illustrious track record in the neighborhood: they were responsible for tearing down another church, St. Ann’s, at 251 Front Street back in 1992, and paving it over after their own business expansion plans failed. The lot is now, charmingly, lined with corrugated metal and rented out as truck parking. They’ve wasted little time on their latest anti-beautification effort, as a small rear addition on Gold Street has already been reduced to rubble (inset). There’s nothing posted online yet about what plans lie in store for the church site post-demolition but it’s a bit of a tough spot for luxury condos, given its close proximity to the Farragut Houses. According to one investor who’s active in the neighborhood, the property never even came on the market, which isn’t surprising given that the church probably wanted to avoid public criticism for its complicity. Seems like it would have been worth the effort to at least put the property on the market and seek a developer who would be open to adaptive reuse. GMAP P*Shark DOB


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. What made SoHo attractive to the artists and others who made their homes and studios there thirty years ago, was the vast spaces and the architecture. People realized these old cast iron faced merchants’ buildings were truly beautiful, not to mention historically and architecturally significant, and this part of the city had most of them. As 10:51 notes, Robert Moses was ready to tear them all down. Preservation and adaptive re-use as homes, artist’s studios, dance studios and business spaces brought them to the attention of the world, and unfortunately it then it became the world’s largest strip mall. This would not have happened if the area was full of new econoboxes. Look at the commercial corridor on 6th Ave from 23rd to 30th Street, where all the new buildings have gone up. No one is flocking there because it’s a new center of attractiveness, commerce or culture. It’s bland, boring, and unimaginative.

    In terms of vibrancy, streetscapes, and urban vista, I’d take the SoHo mall over the Flower District canyon any day.

  2. 10:06 – You are making a different argument. I happen to agree with you about the monied homogenization of Manhattan, and particularly SoHo, but the architectural appeal and sense aesthetic diversity (at least) is of great value to the city regardless. If Robert Moses had had his way, there would have been a highway through SoHo and housing projects everywhere. That’s neither a remedy for nor a preference to mallification.

  3. i’m not bored at all actually! great reading.

    not on any side particularly, but pointing out the re-use of SOHO as a protected area actually strengthens Benson’s position.

    I have worked in SOHO for many many years and I have thought that it has indeed turned into Disneyland. it now has many stores that you can find anywhere and seems just to be filled with tourists.

    it was a very creative area that is now kinda dead to the actual people who live in work in the area. when are lease is up, we are going to move….

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