Demolition Of Historic Brownsville Church Can Go Ahead After Stop Work Order Lifted

BROWNSVILLE, BROOKLYN — The stop work order that prevented a Catholic organization from demolishing a historic Brooklyn church has been lifted, city records show.

Our Lady of Loreto — a now-vacant church that stands at 126 Sackman St. — has been the subject of a decade-long battle between a group of activists hoping to stop Catholic Charities from tearing it down and building an affordable housing complex.

The Brownsville Cultural Coalition had hoped to save the Roman Renaissance-style church, which they say is the oldest Italian Catholic church in the nation, by landmarking the space and turning it into a community center.

But the Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corp., the organization that owns the lease, argue the building is unsalvageable and plan to tear it down and build 40 units of low-income housing on the location.

The City approved Catholic Charities request to demolish Our Lady of Loreto in March, but BCC sprung into action and got a judge to issue a temporary stay on the plans in April.

BCC activist and former parishioner Jillian Mulvihill submitted the stay of demolition motion and, in a hearing on May 9, argued that the Catholic Charities could not tear down Our Lady of Loreto because of a previous agreement made with the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to preserve it.

But Brooklyn Civil Court Justice Ellen Spodek ruled against the Mulvihill on June 1st, arguing that Mulvihill lacked legal standing to take on Catholic Charities.

The stop work order remained on file with the Department of Buildings website for months after the ruling, but earlier this week, it was removed.

Preparations began some time before Aug. 1, according to a Brooklyn Daily Eagle report, who noted the Our Lady of Loreto statue had been quietly taken down.

BCC and Catholic Charities representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Photo by Kathleen Culliton