08/06/2026
Tuesday's LPC hardship hearing for West Park offered little clarity about the fate of the landmark church. However, Chair Lisa Kersavage did make one thing clear: she emphasized, "the demolition of the building is inherently inappropriate." The Commission did not focus its discussion on the historic value of the church but on whether the applicant has met the stringent legal standard for hardship, a determination, it seems, driven by an extensive financial analysis.
Since the Landmarks Law was adopted in 1965, 23 hardship applications have been filed, and 13 have been approved. On the Upper West Side, this has resulted in the loss of four landmarks thus far: Mt. Neboh Synagogue in 1981, and 351 Central Park West, 352 Central Park West, and 353 Central Park West, all in 1988. Every approval weakens the protections the Landmarks Law was intended to provide and sets a precedent that reaches far beyond a single building.
No vote was taken. General Counsel Mark Silberman will now prepare a draft determination for the Commissioners to review before a final decision. Notably, not all Commissioners participated in back-and-forth discussion.
Should a hardship be granted, the clock starts on a 180-day period when the Commission can seek alternatives, such as another buyer. In preservation, we are playing the long game. We will continue to monitor the process and keep you informed as this critical case moves, slowly, forward towards uncertainty. As George Michael said, we Gotta Have Faith.
