The city recently rejected plans for the contentious conversion of a Bay Ridge church into condominiums and a scaled-down house of worship.
The Department of Buildings (DOB) turned away two applications submitted by Abeco Manage-ment for the construction of a seven-story, 72-unit residential building and 8,196-square-foot church art the site of the Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, Fourth Avenue and Ovington Avenue.
One application called for the construction of a new building; the other was for a sidewalk shed.
“Generally speaking, plans are disapproved for non-compliance with building and zoning regulations. The plans were returned to the applicant to revise and resubmit to the department for review,” said Caroline Sullivan, a DOB spokesperson.
A call to Abeco Management was not returned at press time.
The sanctuary, as well as the Sunday School building and the parsonage, are being sold by the congregation to Abe Betesh of Abeco Realty, for $9.75 million, pending the demolition of the structures.
The sale and the demolition will continue, the church’s pastor, Robert Emerick, stated.
“There is no change to our plans,” he said. “We have a contract and we are going forward,” he added.
He said the church’s congregation—rendered small over the years—can’t continue to maintain the large building.
When the sanctuary was last painted, it cost $75,000. That was six years ago, Emerick said.
Each season brings new expenses. “Every time we turn the heat on in the fall, we find out which pipes have sprung leaks,” he said.
Preservationists like the Committee to Save the Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, and local elected officials including City Councilmember Vincent Gentile and Assemblymem-ber Janele Hyer-Spencer, have backed efforts to save the original church, which is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
“The truth of the matter is, it is all talk,” Emerick said of preservation efforts. “We would be foolish to stop what we were doing just in case someone comes up with the money,” he said, referring to talk of an alternate developer.
The pastor said he has been surprised by the level of “disrespect” shown to his congregation.
“They seem to think the church is wrong in its assessment of the building’s situation. Most of the people in Bay Ridge who are aware and care, understand the situation,” he said.
Victoria Hofmo, founder of the Bay Ridge Conser-vancy and a member of the Committee to Save the Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, said respect goes both ways.
“We live in a community and there is a bigger community that church is a part of there.”
“All the community is asking for is a better solution. And we have tried to work with them to do so,” she continued. “Caring about the larger comm. is about being a Christian.” That’s why, Hofmo added, she and others have been volunteering to preserve the church for the past three and a half years.
The olive-colored ‘Green Church’ has graced the neighborhood since 1899. It was designed by eminent 19th century American architect George W. Kramer in a transitional late Victorian/Romanesque Revival style.
“Jesus never said anything about maintaining buildings. Pouring tens of thousands of dollars into a building is not essential to Christian mission,” the pastor said.
