The New York Landmarks Preservation Commission is holding a hearing tomorrow, December 9, to decide the fate of West Park Presbyterian Church.
Landmarks Preservation Commission Hearing
253 Broadway, 2nd Floor
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Time: 1:30 pm (be there by 1:00 pm)
Check their website for recommended visiting details.
Click here to sign up to testify in person, on Zoom, or to send in your statement. You must sign up by 7:00 am tomorrow. We have tips for speaking or submitting testimony below.
Tell the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) that you oppose the demolition of West Park!
Testimony Tips – Join the LPC hearing in person tomorrow, December 9, and submit your testimony opposing the demolition.
- LPC’s new office is located at 253 Broadway, 2nd Floor (between Warren Street and Murray Street). Bring a state-issued ID to enter the building.
- If you are not able to attend in person, you can register to speak via Zoom. The Zoom link and other details are listed on the LPC website.
- You’ll have 2 minutes to speak. Written statements can be longer.
- If you cannot attend the hearing in person or on Zoom, please send your testimony in advance to testimony@lpc.nyc.gov
- Written testimony/comments are accepted until 12 pm (noon) today, December 8.
- The Livestream hearing will be available on the LPC’s YouTube channel.
The New York Presbytery wants to demolish West Park, one of the City’s most beautiful Romanesque Revival buildings and an individual landmark, so that a developer can build a market-rate residential tower. The Presbytery is making a claim of hardship, based on a budget of at least $50 million to restore the church. But that would include repairing, updating, and improving every part of this building all at once. Most building owners would phase this work.
The Conservancy has a long history with this landmark, and we are opposed to their request. The building does need to be restored, but it can be done over a longer period of time. The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s own engineering study shows that the repairs needed to fix the most urgent problems and remove a longtime sidewalk bridge would cost much less – between $7 and $9 million. That’s still a significant number, but it can be achieved by raising funds and addressing the top priorities. We’ve seen many other successful institutions take this approach.
The church initiated the non-profit Center for West Park several years ago to keep the building active and help fundraise for extensive restoration and maintenance needs. The Center offered to pay for the highest priority work at the building, to clear Buildings Department violations and remove a longstanding sidewalk bridge. But the Presbytery refused to allow it and terminated the Center’s lease. If the Center were allowed to rent the church again, it promises a major rent increase, space for the Presbytery to continue its mission, and assuming full responsibility for building restoration and maintenance
The building has continued to be an active part of the community and the City’s artistic life. The Center presented a regular stream of events, including play readings and films. Spaces in the large community house were rented to a ballet school, artist studios, rehearsal and lecture space, and a pickleball court. An African American congregation has held weekly services there.
We have worked with historic religious properties for decades. We know West Park can have a bright future.
Please join us in speaking out to support this landmark.
On November 5, 2025, the Landmarks Conservancy honored Mark Ruffalo and Kenneth Lonergan as “Living Landmarks” at our annual gala for their efforts to save West Park Presbyterian Church and the cultural center. We cheered them for recruiting an amazing array of other actors and directors to the cause. They explained their efforts in a tape we showed that evening.