! STOP THE CHURCH DEMOLITION !
2140 Broadway, Schenectady, NY
16,000 square foot CHURCH
*Large Sanctuary
*Offices
*Classrooms
*Fellowship Hall with Stage and Kitchen
7,750 square foot SCHOOL
*Classrooms
*Kitchen & Dining Area
All the "Democrats" on the Schenectady City Council voted to demolish this community center in order for a merchant to erect a store that sells cigarettes, alcohol, gambling, gasoline and high fructose corn syrup sweetened ice cream.
How will the demolition work to rebuild the community center that once was this church?
What infrastructure do walkable communities need in order to thrive?
This church is surrounded by other community and civic buildings. Another church sits right next door. Another school sits across the street. A public school is within the skyline. It has the infrastructure necessary to build upon the current community engagement. Instead of working to find solutions to grow community assets, the Schenectady government is destroying them for a few measly dollars.
What I found particularly striking today on my visit to the church, was that there is another Stewart's just down the street. You can actually see the very top of the church's bell steeple from the sidewalk of the CURRENT STEWART'S 600 feet away! Why do they need two locations on Broadway within such a short distance. What is wrong with their current location where they have been for decades? Why is their greed so great that they need to tear down a church?
2/3rds of Stewart's is owned by the X family. 1/3rd is owned by the employees. Did the employee shareholders approve of this deal? Do Stewart's employees want it to demolish a community sanctuary in Schenectady?
How does one explain to a child why the city government wants to tear down a church? An institution she begs her father to go to with regularity.
Church built in 1922. History unknown.
"BaBa, why are they going to tear down this church? Is it open?"
Below is a building next to the two churches. Unknown connection to the two community institutions. Significant structures clustered around the religious center of the neighborhood.
Below is the school yard across from the two churches, another church is visible beyond the basketball hoop.
The kicker, the steeple of the church is visible from the current Stewart's sidewalk. It is above the white house across and up the street.
Detail of above photograph. The church steeple is above the roof of the white house on the left. Taken from the current Stewart's parking lot.
