Willoughby Avenue Convent Closing, Future Uncertain
Holy cow! The Sisters of Mercy Convent at 265 Willoughby Avenue in Clinton Hill is closing after 146 years as a home to nuns devoted to working with the sick and the poor; the convent is facing $20 million in renovations. As for the future of the property? “Selling the convent could help raise even…
Holy cow! The Sisters of Mercy Convent at 265 Willoughby Avenue in Clinton Hill is closing after 146 years as a home to nuns devoted to working with the sick and the poor; the convent is facing $20 million in renovations. As for the future of the property? “Selling the convent could help raise even more money for their mission, Sister McCann said, but no decision has been reached. Though the building is not a landmark — giving wide leeway for any new owners to develop or demolish the property — some nuns said they hoped they could still return to the chapel on special occasions.” Yikes! LPC, where are ya?
After 146 Years, a Brooklyn Convent Is Closing [NY Times] GMAP P*Shark
At a Brooklyn Convent, a Season of Heartbreak [City Room]
Photo from PropertyShark
Unfortunately, the Sisters of Mercy have stated themselves that the building needs 20 million dollars worth of repairs. That’s a lot of money. Converting old buildings like this to new uses is an incredibly complicated and expensive process in NYC where the building, fire, and accessibilty codes are very elaborate and specific and often contradictory. Every little item in this building from the open stairs, to the wood joists, to the lead paint, to the unreinfoced masonry construction (earthquake codes are now the law) is an unbelievable hassle at the DOB. Without the Landmarks Commission pushing from their end, this sort of coversion is almost an endless bureaucratic nightmare. That’s why so few attempt it. It isn’t because it is hard to do architecturally, or because people would not live here if they could, it is because NYC codes are almost impossible to comply with unless you are building a brand-new building. If you think this type of conversion -requiring a new C of O- is easy, you should try it.
Pratt would be foolish to let this slip through their fingers if they are able to purchase it. In fact – Pratt should’ve acquired all those beautiful Civil War era warehouse buildings on Taffe Place when they could’ve gotten them for practically nothing.
what a hearbreak- it would be criminal to destroy this. And it seems large enough that it could be cost effective to convert, instead of tear down. The place is just so beautiful.
Headline: Polemicist to Join LPC. “I love old buildings- we need more of them!”
It is all coming to pass, Montrose. That was the Seventh Sign.
Don’t know about the Sisters of Mercy, but the nuns involved with Mt. Loretto in Staten Island and the ones at 20 Washington Sq. N. are based somewhere in the Bronx and it’s their order that owns the building not the Bk Archdiocese on the NY Arch Diocese. Angel Guardian seemed to straddle an archdiocese and the order of nuns.
There’s truth to the no sale thing. I did recently get a call about hundreads of church properties from the Catholics and the Episopalians being available for lease in Brooklyn and Queens. I asked for a follow up list but haven’t gotten it yet.
I imagine this building is well suited for conversion. I wouldn’t worry about it be demolished. It is a fine building.
Posted by: Polemicist at December 17, 2008 12:48 PM
THUD!!! (Sound of jaw hitting floor.)
It is indeed probable that the order, and not the diocese, owns it. Like most (not all) RC orders, this one must surely be aware that they are in demographic sunset, and they are turning off the lights literally and figuratively. Someone has to be last out the door, of course. A very sad day for those of us who were taught by this order.
There’s a nunnery on Washington Square North in the City that’s landmarked, too, but many churches aren’t.
There’s a similar complex to this one, Angel Guardian, at 63rd St. and 12th Ave in Brooklyn. Part of Angel Guardian was one an orphanage with fairly sizeable floorplates (and children sleeping in long rows ala Madeline, I imagine). It has these extremely wide metal fire escapes that look big enough to accommodate 4 to 6 children abreast. Now part of the complex is used for not-for-profits, part for a senior center, and parts of upper floors for a scattering of nuns.
Don’t you think the Merchy Convent could be developed something like Graham Court?
“Polemicist Opts Out Of High Density Redevelopment”
🙂