Built in 1891, this Romanesque Revival Church has been home to the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Congregation since 1975. The building fell into disrepair in 2013 and the congregation was forced to relocate. Aspiring to rejuvenate the building and maintain their presence in the Upper West Side, Mount Pleasant partnered with CMC Developers and DXA studio to execute an ambitious plan to restore the church, provide a new sanctuary and classrooms for community-based education programs, and introduce residential condos that could subsidize the entire endeavor.

DXA Studio Partner Jordan Rogove will lead the tour along with DXA Studio Principal Sando Thordarson and Jordan DeCandia (Principal at ES Builders).

The design, approved unanimously by the Landmarks Preservation Commission upon its first public hearing, marries the historical with the contemporary, balancing the solid masonry elevation with a glass and steel addition. A 5,000 sq ft sanctuary space at grade featuring the original stained glass along its perimeter will house the congregation, and another 5,000 sq ft of community space will be located below grade. Above the sanctuary, seven apartments ranging in size from 1,200-3,500 sq ft will rise in a form evocative of the original sanctuary’s gabled roof, covered by terra cotta screens, a modern application of the original, historic roofing material.

The tour will show the church’s ongoing conversion for the first time since the commencement of construction. Participants will learn the history of the project and the process behind making the conversion happen. According to DXA, this is truly the first and only time the building will be available to be seen by the public.

This is an active construction site. Visitors are required to wear closed toe and encouraged to wear boots. The site is currently not wheelchair accessible.