Closing Bell: Yet Another Church Site for Sale

Brooklyn is transforming from the borough of churches into the borough of condos. Yet another church property is up for sale as a development site, this one at 519 Vanderbilt Avenue, BuzzBuzzHome reported.

The prominent Clinton Hill Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew, where Tish James has been known to attend services, is asking $8,600,000 for its excess FAR. It’s not clear if the offer includes the church or not, but it does include a parking lot and rectory that wrap around the church. The Halstead listing says: “The Church itself is landmarked and will NOT be demolished. Can be sold for development or as transferable air rights.”

The Romanesque Revival church was built in 1891 and designed by John Welch, according to Wikipedia. Its address is 520 Clinton Avenue. In 2012, an arson fire damaged the church, which was used as a homeless shelter and hub for Occupy Sandy relief efforts.

The development property, just down the street from Atlantic Avenue and the Atlantic Yards rail site, has 100 feet of frontage on Vanderbilt and a total of 43,000 buildable square feet.

Click through to the jump for lots more photos.

Clinton Hill Church Site on Market for $8.6 Million [BuzzBuzz Home]

Update: We heard from the agent, who said the church “is absolutely NOT for sale. The church remains in place and the active congregation remains.” They are looking to sell their FAR, which can be sold as air rights and transferred to a nearby site. Or the FAR can be sold in the form of land on the Vanderbilt side of the site, she told us.

Above photo by Halstead