Historic Trinity Church Reveals Plans for Condo Tower

Trinity Church reveals plans to redevelop its ministry offices right behind the church and top them with a 25-story condo tower. 

The mixed-use tower would replace the 90-year-old buildings located at 68–74 Trinity Place. The church has been presented two designs, from two different architecture firms—Cook Fox and Pelli Clarke Pelli, DNAInfo reports.

The unconventional design from Cook Fox shows a stone and glass structure. The first six floors would host the ministry offices, and these would be topped with 25 floors of condo units. The botanic garden-like design has greenery inside the building, in all its outdoor spaces, and inside its façade. It’s obvious that the Cook Fox plans intend to blend in with the planted surroundings of Trinity Church. 

Pelli Clarke Pelli’s rather conventional design calls for a glass and metal structure with much less greenery, but the design might fit better with the surrounding buildings. Pelli’s design also shows the base floors for the ministry offices with 25 floors of condo units above.

It’s expected that the church will decide at a meeting on July 24 whether it will pursue plans to replace the buildings at 68-74 Trinity Place with one of the two designs or to simply renovate and upgrade the existing structures.

Regardless which decision the church makes, it will more than likely earn even more abrasive criticism over its continuing focus on the real estate market. Trinity Church is one of the richest real estate owners in New York City, owning assets of more than $2 billion spread over 14 acres of land.