READ: TOWER PLANNED AT 116TH STREET CHURCH SITE

The Baptist Temple Church on 116th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenue had finally replaced its roof after the original was demolished because of structural issues but now it looks like financial matters might have pushed a deal for an 11-story tower to be built on the site.  YIMBY reports that plans for 28 apartments are now in motion and that the church will take over the space on the lower floors of the new construction.  This appears to be the path of many of the religious establishments in Harlem with dwindling congregation numbers since deals are often struck that would provide not only millions of dollars in revenue but also a brand new house of worship.  As some might recall, 20 West 116th Street was originally a Jewish temple but became a church when the demographics of the neighborhood eventually changed decades later: LINK