West-Park Presbyterian Church on the Upper West Side. WSR.

By Gus Saltonstall

On Tuesday, the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) heard testimony on the West-Park Presbyterian Church’s request to strip the more than 130-year-old Upper West Side house of worship of its landmark designation. If the commission eventually grants that request, made in the form of a “hardship application,” the church plans to sell the property to a developer, who would demolish the structure to make way for a high-rise apartment building.

But an LPC decision is still pending. Even before public testimony began on Tuesday, a commission member announced that the application will face further consideration in “early 2026,” when the church will be asked to respond to questions from the public and the commission.

At that point, if there is no other fact-finding needed, members of the commission will finally vote on whether to remove the landmark status of the church at the corner of West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

“The most helpful and relevant testimony you can provide is whether the applicant has satisfied the hardship criteria,” Mark Silberman, general counsel for the LPC, said before Tuesday’s testimony. “Testimony about the good work of the church or the importance of art to the Upper West Side or how much you appreciate the historic building is not relevant to the Commission’s ultimate resolution on this matter.”

Speakers who presented testimony on Tuesday repeated points that have been made throughout the many months of debate on the fate of West-Park Presbyterian. Those in favor of granting the hardship application, which includes the Presbytery — the church governing body — argue that the application is justified because of the poor physical condition of the church and the amount of money it would cost to restore the building, including removal of the more than 20-year-old sidewalk shed. Those arguing that the church building should be preserved — which includes the Center at West Park, a nonprofit arts organization that operated out of the church for years until this summer — spoke to the importance of saving the historic structure that could continue to serve as a community, theatrical, and religious facility.

Upper West Side City Councilmember Gale Brewer, who played a large part in getting the church landmarked, testified on Tuesday that it was the commission’s duty to “do everything possible to preserve buildings in New York City, and this is a building that can and must be saved.”

Actor and Upper West Sider Mark Ruffalo, who is a longtime supporter of the church and The Center at West Park, also testified.

“I’m also really an Upper West Sider. My kids were raised there. I love it there. I believe in us as a community,” Ruffalo said. “We’re here to oppose this hardship request. Yes, I’m a celebrity, but behind me are a thousand young actors who were just like me, who came to New York looking for a dream. And these spaces fulfill that ability. We can’t let them go.”

You can watch the more than three hours of presentation and testimony on the hardship application for West-Park Presbytery Church, below.

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