Condo Construction Above Upper West Side Church Could Begin in February

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A proposal to construct seven floors of residential development above a baptist church on the Upper West Side could begin within months.

In 2014 the Landmarks Preservation Commission ruled in favor of a proposed residential addition to the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, a 123-year-old religious building located on West 81st Street between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues. The designer for the project, Jordan Rogove of the firm DXA, told Curbed that demolition on the existing church recently started and that construction on the apartments could begin in February.

"We hope to be in full swing by early February with construction expected to be in the 14-15 month range," Rogove told Curbed.

Plans to demolish the existing baptist church were filed with the city Department of Buildings were filed and approved in October. The demolition of the church will be done using hand tools, according to the plans. But not all of the existing church structure will be demolished. According to the demolition plans the church's facade and foundation walls will remain part of the building through the construction.

Plans were filed for the new development in August and are pending zoning approval. The plans call for the construction of a seven-story, 75-foot-tall building containing 7 apartment units. The new development will feature a newly constructed sanctuary for the baptist church and separate church and residential lobbies, according to the plans.

Photo by Google Maps May 2016