Landmarked synagogue wants to raze structure to make way for mixed-use development

Synagogue officials at Beth Hamedrash Hagadol — reportedly the country’s oldest Russian-Jewish congregation — have filed an application with the Landmarks Preservation Commission requesting permission to raze its existing 4,600-square-foot structure and build a mixed-use residential development above its worship space, the Lo Down reported. Located at 60 Norfolk Street at Broome Street, the lot could host a building as large as 45,000 square feet.

The synagogue has been a city landmark since 1967. Rabbi Mendl Greenbaum decided to shutter the synagogue — which has sustained water and fire damage — four years ago. The proposed building would include a new synagogue and a museum focusing on the synagogue’s role in the community.

As The Real Deal previously reported, another city congregation, the Sixteenth Street Synagogue, may become a residential development, following years of litigation between two developers; an eviction notice was served last week. However, on Monday, the synagogue was granted a temporary eviction stay, pending resolution that it has partial ownership of the property. [The Lo Down] —Zachary Kussin