Plans to tear down this beautiful church and put in crap with a parking lot! (Pittsburgh: apartments, condo)

[Maroon197]

It would be an absolute travesty if they tore that church down. Buildings like that are what give cities and neighborhoods character and a sense of place. It is highly likely that we will never see buildings with that level of detail and care built again, so every one that is torn down represents an enormous and irrevocable loss.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by Maroon197

It would be an absolute travesty if they tore that church down. Buildings like that are what give cities and neighborhoods character and a sense of place. It is highly likely that we will never see buildings with that level of detail and care built again, so every one that is torn down represents an enormous and irrevocable loss.

You got a point there.

But it costs a lot of money to maintain the building until a plan comes up for reuse. And once that plan is drawn up, it requires a large investment to do the renovations.


The Methodist synod wants to conclude the matter as quick as possible, they are in the religion business. not real estate.

[gg]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

The Methodist synod wants to conclude the matter as quick as possible, they are in the religion business. not real estate.

That is all well and good, but you would think a church would want what is GOOD for the community. That hideous thing they are proposing is an outrage in an area with so much foot traffic. Goodness talk about a throwback design! Wonder how much they want for the church?

[Cryptic]

Originally Posted by gg

This is pretty sad to say the least!
This is pretty sad really. Wish they could repurpose the church and keep things classy, not build that crap!

Is it a catholic church? One latin mass catholic groups is willing to save and restore older catholic churches in danger of being torn down. But, they need to have the funds, an invitation from the bishop and I think the church needs to have true historical value.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by Cryptic

Is it a catholic church? One latin mass catholic groups is willing to save and restore older catholic churches in danger of being torn down. But, they need to have the funds, an invitation from the bishop and I think the church needs to have true historical value.

The old school Latin Mass Catholics just acquired the St. James church in the West End last year, and I think they are using it already.


I don't think they are really well to do, renovating and restoring churches is a very expensive proposition.

[doo dah]

Originally Posted by Cryptic

Is it a catholic church? One latin mass catholic groups is willing to save and restore older catholic churches in danger of being torn down. But, they need to have the funds, an invitation from the bishop and I think the church needs to have true historical value.

It's a Methodist church.

[Craziaskowboi]

If the church is structurally beyond repair, then so be it; tear it down. But if it's torn down, then it needs to be replaced with something much more substantial than that one-story piece of trash.

[SteelCityRising]

There's now a GoFundMe established by concerned citizen Lindsay Patross to raise money for church renovations. I'm awaiting a response from Lindsay about what will happen to any donated money if the church is demolished for the fifth Starbucks within walking distance prior to making a contribution myself. I mean, I love Starbucks immensely, but I'd much sooner patronize it if they housed themselves in a handsomely-refurbished historic church edifice vs. a building that looks like "Creme de la Cranberry".

Support Friends of Albright by Lindsay Patross - GoFundMe

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

There's now a GoFundMe established by concerned citizen Lindsay Patross to raise money for church renovations. I'm awaiting a response from Lindsay about what will happen to any donated money if the church is demolished for the fifth Starbucks within walking distance prior to making a contribution myself. I mean, I love Starbucks immensely, but I'd much sooner patronize it if they housed themselves in a handsomely-refurbished historic church edifice vs. a building that looks like "Creme de la Cranberry".

Support Friends of Albright by Lindsay Patross - GoFundMe

Working on these old churches is very expensive. The contract to work on just the steeple of the 1st Baptist Church on Bigelow was well over a million.



Church renovations are fine, but they really need to be planned with the planned future use of the edifice.

Do you see Albright as a good place for condos- like Angel Arms, or perhaps as a nightclub like St. Elizabeth's in the strip.

[SolitaryThrush]

I'm not a fan of one-story developments in the city, especially in that area, so I'd hope to see more density there on that growing strip. I'd also like to see a parking garage beneath the building, rather than a sea of asphalt surrounding the island of retail.

But you can't begrudge a developer for buying a property nobody else wants, and that the congregation and community can no longer support. Just a reminder that not every old building is "historic" and worth saving. Neighborhoods are doomed to stagnation if they're not able to move past the structures that were there generations ago.