St. Patrick’s spires restored to original splendor

Cleanup is part of $170 million restoration project

Workers on Wednesday began removing the scaffolding from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, revealing a renovated façade that is part of the church’s $170 million restoration, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The three-year restoration project began in May of last year and part of the first phase – cleaning the façade’s 80-foot spires – is now complete, Kate Monaghan, a cathedral spokesperson, told the Journal. The project’s next phases will involve restoring the sanctuary and the installation of new fire safety systems.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

The cathedral has undergone two prior restorations, Monaghan added, but this was the first time the façade had been fully cleaned, giving New Yorkers and visitors an idea of what the cathedral looked like in 1879.

St. Patrick’s, along with St. Bartholomew’s Church and Central Synagogue have been key figures in the Midtown East rezoning debate, as The Real Deal reported. The holy houses have between them have just over 2 million square feet of unused air rights, which could be worth anywhere from $400 million to $1.1 billion if they are able to sell them. [WSJ]  – Hiten Samtani