Brownsville Politicians Fight to Save Historic Church From Wrecking Ball

By Kings County Politics News Service

BROWNSVILLE, BROOKLYN — New York State Senator Jesse Hamilton, representing western Brownsville and Crown Heights, has joined with State Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, representing Brownsville and Ocean Hill, in an effort to save an iconic local church from the wrecking ball.

The Brooklyn Diocese, which owns the out-of-use Our Lady Of Loreto Church, filed plans earlier this summer to demolish it. Diocese leaders are reportedly looking to replace the church with affordable housing.

Italian immigrants designed and built Our Lady of Loreto in the early 1900s. It is reported to be "the oldest national Italian Catholic church in Brooklyn that's still located in its original structure and on its original footprint."

Back in 2010, a similar plan to demolish the church and replace it with an affordable-housing complex was met with fierce local opposition. The Diocese finally caved to the outcry — agreeing to keep the church intact and instead erect 64 new affordable housing units in the lot behind it, where the rectory used to be.

Then, more than five years later, in June 2016, the Diocese quietly re-filed its demolition plans.

The Brownsville Heritage House (BHH) and Assemblywoman Walker have since kickstarted a lobbying campaign to convince the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to designate the church as an official city landmark — a move that would save Our Lady from demolition.

Now, Sen. Hamilton has also signed onto the effort to save the church.

“I am acutely aware of the need for affordable housing in Brownsville. Every day, my office sees a stream of people losing their homes or looking for an affordable way to stay in Brooklyn. Housing is the number one priority of my office, and I will work to be the most outspoken advocate for creating affordable housing in New York State,” Hamilton wrote in a draft letter to LPC Commissioner Meenakshi Srinivasan.

“With that in mind, I am writing to support the landmark designation of Our Lady Of Loreto Church located at 2367 Pacific Street in Brooklyn, regardless of the proposal to demolish it in the name of affordable housing," he wrote. "I find the arguments made by the Brownsville Heritage House (BHH) for preserving this century-old Italian-American cultural piece very compelling. As an elected representative of Brownsville, I consider it my responsibility to take a stance on this issue.”

Hamilton’s letter noted Brownsville currently has only one public landmark — the Betsy Head Play Center — yet is dominated with 18 public housing developments. He argued in his letter to the commissioner that saving the church would help stabilize and improve local property values, as well as foster civic pride.

“All too often, when the neighborhood is in the news, it is usually because of a shooting or some horrible statistic," Hamilton wrote. "As a proud representative of the neighborhood, we know the neighborhood can improve by fostering the successes there. This church is a Brownsville success story. Its existence shows the perseverance of beauty in the face of decay, and the height of artistry in the face of mediocre new developments."

“Yes," he wrote, "Brooklyn in general and Brownsville in particular desperately need affordable housing. But the people in Brownsville are tired of getting crumbs. They are tired of housing healthcare workshops as if there is only sickness in their community. They are tired of only forums on gun violence, as if there are no good deeds in Brownsville. The neighborhood needs something outstanding — Our Lady Of Loreto is just that. To turn it into just another development site would not only destroy the unique beauty of the building, but would denigrate the entire neighborhood."

Hamilton suggested the church could offer a wide range of possibilities for community engagement, and could act as a safe haven for residents of all walks of life. Under Hamilton's vision, the church could serve as a community center — helping educate neighbors and provide an outlet for theater and other ennobling activities.

Calls and emails from Kings County Politics to both the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Brooklyn Diocese were not returned by press time. If and when KCP receives responses, this story will be updated.

A version of this story originally appeared on the Kings County Politics news site.