Spoke too soon: Greenpoint church to become condos

No sooner do we note a resurgence of Slavic life in the East Village in the face of gentrification than we discover a new loss in Greenpoint: the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Church of Saint Elias (143-149 Kent Street) is to be converted into condos.

The church was built in 1870 and bought by the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic in 1943. The congregation (originally at least) was primarily Carpatho-Rusyn. The congregation has since dispersed, and the building has sat vacant for a few years.

Curbed reported today that the building is being handled by “voracious real estate machine” Massey Knakal. The exterior has landmark status and cannot be altered, but the idea seems to be to turn the inside into condos.

Back in March, the New York Sun reported the asking price as $4.2 million. The Brooklyn Paper says that “close to 40 units” will be created in the building, at a cost of $7 million.

The Brooklyn Paper also noted that the stained glass windows and Byzantine crosses on the roof are being removed “in hopes of not scaring away potential tenants.”