OPEN Impact Real Estate leases 40,000 s/f at 245 West 77th St. to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Manhattan, NY OPEN Impact Real Estate (OPEN) said that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has signed a three-year lease for 40,000 s/f of shared and dedicated space at West End Collegiate Church’s facility located at 245 West 77^th St. on the city’s Upper West Side.

Stephen Powers, Lindsay Ornstein, Amy Lawrence and Julia Fish of OPEN represented the landlord, West End Collegiate Church; Mark Zussman of CBRE represented the tenant, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The occupancy of this historic Collegiate Church property by multiple faith communities heralds a new chapter in the spiritual life of the congregations.

The two religious groups will occupy the building in tandem, with each having its own dedicated spaces in addition to shared programming spaces. The shared spaces include the building’s Sanctuary, gym, multipurpose room, kitchen and chapel. West End Collegiate Church is also in talks with a third religious group to join this pioneering multifaith campus.

“West End Collegiate was looking to activate the recently vacated space to support its programmatic and financial goals. The rare combination of a dedicated entrance and access to multiple public assembly spaces appealed to many religious and cultural organizations,” said Stephen Powers, co-founder of OPEN. “We are thrilled to have helped implement a shared space model that maximizes the use of large multi-purpose spaces which frequently are underutilized on many religious campuses.”

“West End Collegiate has an opportunity to reimagine and reinvigorate itself following the challenges of COVID. We are adapting to our new circumstances, and thrilled with the outcome of our committee’s work which strengthens the financial position of the church and sets the table for its continued successful operations and growth,” said Margaret Tobin, West End Church member and chair of the strategic real estate committee.

“So often we hear of churches forced to make difficult decisions about their buildings or their ministry because of our ever-changing socio/cultural/economic landscape. That’s not the story of our faith. At West End, we are telling the story of God’s abundant blessings by welcoming new partners in faith to our building. We are writing a new chapter where there is room enough for all, where everyone may belong, and where grace and love abounds,” said William Critzman, senior minister of West End and president of The Collegiate Church of the City of New York.

West End is one of four congregations of the historic Collegiate Church of the City of New York, the oldest continually worshipping church in America, tracing its origins to Dutch settlers in the early 1600s. West End’s brick and terra cotta landmarked facility, designed by famed architectural firm McKim Mead & White and completed in 1892, was built in a Dutch Colonial style that evokes the church’s — and city’s — Dutch past. The building also features three windows designed by Tiffany studios.