An Episcopal church will soon be demolished to construct a new medical school building.
As reported, Weill Cornell Medicine aims to turn the Church of the Epiphany into rubble after being sold two years ago.
The church is an Episcopal parish in New York City which was founded in 1939. It is located on the corner of York Avenue and East 74th Street.
Church Demolition
According to Patch.com, records from New York City confirmed the church's demolition.
The report said that the medical school plans to start demolishing the worship house in June 2022.
Officials aim to establish a medical school residence hall for medical students in the current site.
They are pushing for the construction of a 17-story building. The construction project reportedly costs more than $250 million.
Developer Jeffrey Feil, meanwhile, chipped in $55 million to support the project.
The news outlet said that the project will begin in January of the following year. School officials expect the construction to be finished by 2025.
Medical School Buys Church Building
Based on the report, the medical school acquired the Church of the Epiphany in 2019.
Furthermore, the Weill Cornell Medicine bought the church building for nearly $70 million.
Rev. Jennifer Reddall bared that the deal would benefit the church. She was the leader of the Church of the Epiphany at that time.
Reverend Reddall also claimed that persons with disabilities find it hard to access the existing building.
Apart from that, she said that the building could not accommodate many parishioners. This was due to its small space, the report added.
"Now, we'll be able to significantly expand our ministry to the neighborhood," Rev. Reddall said. "And at the same time, we'll get to save a historic building."
Reverend Jennifer was talking about the 130-year-old Jan Hus Presbyterian Church. The Church of the Epiphany is currently renovating the said church.
'Vibrant New Residence Hall'
Patch.com has interviewed Weill Cornell Medicine spokesperson Jennifer Gundersen.
Gundersen believes that the 17-story building will be a "vibrant new residence hall."
The report reiterated that the medical school tower measures over 170,000 square feet.
Moreover, the new building is twice as big as the medical school's residential living space.
"Providing students of our medical and graduate schools with convenient housing close to the main campus is a top priority," the spokesperson said.
About Church of the Epiphany
As per its website, the Church of Epiphany promotes inclusivity as it welcomes everyone.
The website said that the Episcopal church accepts all people regardless of age and gender. Apart from that, it also embraces diversity as it welcomes parishioners with different beliefs.
"We are building a dedicated Christian community that seeks to know God and to serve others," the website read.
The Church of the Epiphany also reportedly caters to the needs of the community. It provides support to the homeless, marginalized, and underprivileged, the report said.
The report highlighted that the church also strives to uphold justice and fairness for everyone.
Furthermore, the Episcopal worship place initiates traditional worship services for the faithful.
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