Mary Help of Christians Church in the East Village will not be holding services as of early September, the Local East Village reported, seeming to validate rumors that the sale of the 22,298-square-foot church property will come to a close next month.
The Local previously reported that the Archdiocese of New York had secured a purchaser for the church, located at 436 East 12th Street near Avenue A, as well as the property’s adjacent parking lot and school building — but an Archdiocese spokesperson would not confirm the deal. Still, the perception that a deal is in place was boosted by Pastor Kevin Nelan telling the Local that developers had shown interest in the property.
As The Real Deal previously reported, two-thirds of the church’s parking lot had been under contract to a developer that was expected to turn it into residential housing.
The rumored deal also includes a school on 12th Street and a parking lot that fronts much of Avenue A between 11th and 12th streets and hosts a weekend flea market. The Archdiocese spokesperson would not confirm if the adjacent plots are part of the deal. The identity of the rumored buyer has not yet been revealed.
According to an Archdiocese spokesperson, the church was put on the market following a reorganization within the Archdiocese, announced in 2006, which recommended closing 31 parishes and 14 schools across the city. [Local East Village]