Northrup backs UWS church over housing project

New York City’s Upper West Side is facing a heated battle over a historic church, and the newly elected Assembly member for the district has thrown his support firmly behind the preservation side. Assembly nominee Eli Northrup, who defeated primary challenger Stephanie Ruskay in May, has already entered the fray regarding the fate of West-Park Presbyterian Church. The Landmarks Preservation Commission is expected to decide soon on a hardship application that the congregation needs to move forward with a controversial demolition plan.

The dispute centers on the congregation’s request to tear down the landmarked building at 65 West 86th Street. Developer Kenneth Horn of Alchemy Properties agreed to pay $33.4 million to construct a market-rate condo tower on the site, with a promise to retain 10,000 square feet of worship and community space. The deal was struck in 2022, but the congregation argues the building is too costly to maintain.

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A coalition of high-profile figures, including actors Mark Ruffalo, Laurence Fishburne, and Matthew Broderick, along with Council member Gale Brewer, is leading the opposition. They are urging the commission to deny the hardship application, arguing that approving it could set a dangerous precedent for landmark protections across the city. The LPC closed its public comment period on the application last week, with a decision expected in the near future.

Northrup appeared in a video with Ruffalo last week, using his new platform to call on social media followers to sign a petition saving the building. The actor highlighted the church’s history as a performing arts center and community hub, a history Northrup echoed in his support. The push to block the development highlights a rare moment of alignment between the city’s progressive housing advocates and traditional preservationists, a group that usually opposes nearly every new construction project in Manhattan.

The financial offer to stay

Opponents of the demolition aren’t just relying on history and celebrity; they are also offering a substantial financial incentive. The Center at West Park, an arts nonprofit that has relocated nearby, has proposed a plan to restore the existing structure. This offer includes more than $12 million to pay for repairs and renovations, with approximately $7 million going to the congregation over the next decade at a rate of $720,000 per year.

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The remaining $5 million is earmarked for specific maintenance issues, including fixing the crumbling facade and removing a sidewalk shed that has long blocked the building’s entrance. Church administrators have published op-eds this week emphasizing the financial strain of the building’s upkeep. They have also detailed plans to use the proceeds from the Alchemy sale to fund a $30 million endowment dedicated to social justice goals, a strategy they argue is the only way to ensure the church’s long-term survival.

Despite the significant financial offer from the opposition, the congregation remains focused on the sale. Their argument rests on the sheer scale of the maintenance costs, which they claim have made the building untenable. The contrast between the immediate cash from the condo sale and the long-term security of the restoration plan creates a complex dilemma for the commission.

A shift in housing politics

Northrup’s decision to back the church, despite his platform’s focus on increasing density, signals a subtle approach to local issues. His platform notes that “luxury units sit empty as rents rise and small businesses and local institutions are squeezed out.” While he supports faith-based institutions seeking to build affordable housing on their land, that plank hasn’t gained traction in this specific debate.

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Support for the preservation effort has come from a wide range of officials, including Comptroller Mark Levine, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and State Senator Erik Bottcher. The Mayor’s office remains notably absent from the campaign to save West-Park. This silence is likely due to the Mayor’s broader agenda to boost housing development across the five boroughs, an agenda that would theoretically favor the Alchemy project.

There is a possibility that this high-profile fight could eventually complicate the relationship between the Assembly member and the Mayor’s office. If the Landmarks Preservation Commission denies the hardship application, Northrup will be aligned with a coalition that includes his own party leadership in Albany. Conversely, if the commission approves the demolition, Northrup may find himself at odds with the progressive housing activists who helped elect him, creating a difficult path forward for the district’s new representative.