Vision
A Cathedral campus that is a religious, civic and
cultural center; an oasis and a dynamic urban ÒvillageÓ that contributes
to the neighborhood, the Diocese, the City and the world; a holy place
where people are welcome as visitors or where they may worship, live,
work, participate in a variety of public activities or come for inspiration,
personal challenge, peace or solace.
Background
In 1997, the Trustees embarked upon an effort to take a comprehensive look
at the CathedralÕs 11.3-acre campus and understand the condition of its buildings
and surrounding open space. The study, completed in 1998, identified almost
$20 million in necessary repairs to the buildings and grounds and other initiatives that would make this campus and world-renowned
institution more welcoming. The study also identified two underutilized sites on the perimeter Ð one
on the southeast corner of the campus, the other north of the Cathedral between
Amsterdam Avenue and Morningside Drive - where new buildings might be located.
The
Trustees looked hard at the Cathedral's needs and resources, and, in 1999,
decided to pursue the possibility of leasing for development these two perimeter
parcels to private interests.
The Trustees stipulated that no buildings on the grounds be demolished or
altered and established the following goals for the project. New development
should be:
- Congruent with the CathedralÕs mission and vision.
- Compatible with its historic
architectural qualities.
- Capable of generating revenue to help sustain
the Close for future generations.
The Cathedral worked with the New York City Landmarks Commission to establish
design guidelines for any new buildings that would be built on these two sites.
The guidelines were recorded in a Restrictive Declaration with the
City of New York (go to the Southeast Site and North Site pages for specific design
guidelines). In the Declaration, the Cathedral also committed to earmarking
revenue to fund deferred maintenance and upkeep of the Cathedral and
six ancillary buildings on the Close. The real estate project
is not only part of a strategy to preserve the buildings and grounds,
but also an initiative to sustain and improve the religious, educational, cultural,
social and civic programs that the Cathedral sponsors. Thus, a significant
portion of real estate revenue will be earmarked to support mission and the long-term care and preservation of the Close.
In April 2005, the Cathedral
reached an agreement with Columbia University for the North
Site. The University has an option to lease
and develop an academic facility on the site. The agreement may be extended
up to eight years.
In September 2006, the Cathedral entered into a 99-year lease with AvalonBay
Communities, Inc. a real estate investment trust, that allows the company
to build a residential building, with twenty percent affordable units,
on the Southeast Site.
Updates
The AvalonBay project is expected to take about 22-24 months. Construction commenced in mid-March 2007.
Contact Us
Please e-mail comments or questions to: reproject@stjohndivine.org
