Alternate proposal for Bay Ridge church still on the table

Council member Vincent Gentile and preservationists are still trying to save the 19th century Bay Ridge United Methodist Church in Brooklyn. The church already entered into a contract with Brooklyn developer Abe Betesh to tear down the church, building a new, smaller church and erecting a condominium on the property. The only other proposal still on the table came from Engel Burman Group, a Long Island-based developer who wants to keep the church’s green serpentine stone facade, and build residential units with a medical facility for senior citizens. The church would retain the property and collect annual revenue on the ground lease, while building the new church with the developer.