Upper West Side church getting apartments built on top

Conversion would add 21,000 square feet of residential space to West 81st Street

142 West 81st Street
142 West 81st Street

An Upper West Side church wants to put the real estate atop its sacred ground to productive use.

Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church at 142 West 81st Street is planning to undergo a $1.2 million conversion to create seven apartments, including one duplex, in the five-story house of worship it currently occupies, BuzzBuzzHome reported. The owners intend to construct an additional two stories to accommodate more than 21,000 square feet of residential space.

The plan exam application also calls for nearly 4,500 square feet of community facility space, BuzzBuzzHome reported.

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This is not the first time Mt. Pleasant has considered bringing tenants into the fold. In 2006, the church proposed demolishing the structure behind the façade in order to build a new, small sanctuary and market-rate units, according to the Upper West Side Developments blog. [BuzzBuzzHome]Tom DiChristopher