NEWS: Saint Saviour's On the market
From the Queens Chronicle:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16917938&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574901&rfi=6
Former St. Savior’s Church Listed For Sale This Week
by Rick Archer, Assistant Editor
The owners of the former St. Savior’s Church property in Maspeth have put it on the market. Representatives of Maspeth Development said the company is seeking to keep its options open in putting the Rust Street property on the market.
Neighborhood activists who have been attempting to landmark the 150 year old church at the site say they hope this provides the opening needed for the city to come in and buy the property to turn into a park. Evan Stavisky, a spokesman for Maspeth Development, said the developers are listing the property for sale to see what kind of offers they get. The online Multiple Listing Service, which appeared on Tuesday, gives the price as $10 million or more. The move came after the developers tried to reach a compromise with neighborhood groups, he said. “It has become clear they (developers) need to keep their options open,” he said. The owners are seeking a zoning change to allow housing to be built on the site. It is currently zoned for industrial use, although it sits on the edge of a residential neighborhood, surrounded by houses on three sides. Their plans have faced opposition primarily from the Juniper Park Civic Association. The civic has taken the developers to court, contending that the original 1847 deed to the land prevents it from being used for anything except a church. Both sides are awaiting a ruling from a Queens Supreme Court judge on how the case can proceed.
The building was an Episcopal church from 1847 to 1995, when it closed due to declining enrollment. It was sold to the San Sung Korean Methodist Church of New York, which in turn sold it to Maspeth Development in October. The civic asked the city Landmarks Preservation Commission to landmark the building, but it refused, saying too much of the church had been rebuilt after a 1970 fire.
The listing opens the possibility of the city buying the property for a park, said Christina Wilkinson, chairwoman of Juniper Park Civic’s Committee to Save St. Savior’s. The civic had earlier proposed turning the site into a park, with the church building becoming a museum or neighborhood center. Wilkinson said the group has written the Mayor’s Office with its proposal, but has not heard back. “I’m positive the funds are available,” she said. “It’s whether they want to spend them.”
©Queens Chronicle 2006