The Department of Licenses and Inspections is to approve the demolition of St. The Laurentius Church. The legal consent for demolishing a 140-year-old church is still pending. It is expected that the work will start as early as Monday.

Demolition Brings Fears and Worries to the Neighborhood 

The church permanently closed in 2014 and gradually deteriorated, standing tall on Berks Street. It is near a row of houses, and a catholic school is beside it. The church will be nearly completely torn down by hand. However, road closures and this fence are already impacting neighbors.

The demolition has caused worries to the neighbors. According to a resident, Benjamin Brotman,  the church cannot be rebuilt into a six-story apartment and should be relocated to another location, according to an MSN report. 

Another resident expressed his worries, especially since school will start soon. He said the space would be one of their problems since they are using the street during recess, and the process will take a long time. He also added that parking space is already limited in the area.  

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia said the parish secured St. Laurentius Catholic school and neighbors since the church closed six years ago.   

The Church is Slowly Collapsing 

Leo Voloshin, a local developer, proposed to preserve the church's historic exterior while building the apartment at the same time was declined by the local groups, according to the source.

The construction of an eight-story residential building to replace the old church has received a zoning permit from the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections. In September last year, the city approved the demolition of the church.

The permit allows the church to completely demolish the church with the supervision of an on-site engineer. L&I will strictly monitor permit compliance. 

City officials said that the church's two towers would soon collapse since their pieces had started falling within a fenced-in safe area to safeguard St. Laurentius Catholic School and visitors to the property.

The structural engineer's report submitted by Fernandini concluded that the risk of a potential collapse and the proximity of occupied properties meant that the building's façade should be demolished too. For public safety, the  Historical Commission suggested removing the facades. However, Fernandini must rebuild for future construction.

The team Fernandini has also been tasked with involving the local community in the demolition work. Local officials are also starting to plan comprehensive engagement in the run-up to and during the demolition.

Taking Down The Church's Spires is Risky 

Workers will dismantle the church's towering spires since it is located in a residential area next to a catholic school. The building crumbles gradually rather than in a cloud of dust.

Removing tall church spires is the demolition's most dangerous and challenging part. It will take up to a month to remove the spires, and the rest of the destruction will take a few more weeks.

St. Laurentius Church was a Roman Catholic church constructed in the 1880s with funds donated by Polish immigrants. For generations of Philadelphia citizens, it has served as a landmark.