The Vestry of Trinity Church today voted to replace its existing 90-year old parish office building at 68-74 Trinity Place with a new structure to be designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, it was announced by the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, 17th Rector of Trinity Wall St.
"We are delighted to be able to engage the extraordinary talents of Pelli Clarke Pelli as we move forward in the design and development process to create an inspiring new mixed-use ministry building that complements Richard Upjohn's historic Trinity Church," Dr. Cooper said. "The new structure will include a six or seven-story base dedicated to mission activities and related offices, topped by a 25-story residential tower. The building will provide a source of revenue so we can begin to prepare for significant expansion of our core ministry activities, which include philanthropic grant-making, homeless outreach, and the program life of one of the city's most diverse congregations," he said.
"The choice of architects was difficult given the dedication, effort and creative insights of both finalists Pelli Clarke Pelli and Cook/Fox, and each deserves our thanks and admiration for their responsive and imaginative presentations," said Lawrence Graham, former development director of Brookfield Properties and lead member of the Vestry team. "The case for a new structure was overwhelming: the basic rehabilitation of the two-building site, including substantial work to meet new code compliance standards, would have required an expenditure of $33 million, without addressing the issue of restrictive floor plates which discourage large scale gathering spaces and ease of accessibility. Funding for the new ministry space, plus a continuing revenue stream, can be generated by the projected 25-story residential portion of the mixed-use development," he said.
"We are thrilled to receive this entirely unique assignment," said César Pelli of Pelli Clarke Pelli. "This gorgeous jewel of a site, a very clear urban room with a natural landscape surrounding, is unlike any place else in the world. We look forward to a continuing exchange of ideas to create a building of its moment, next to a building for all time."
"The next step in the process, with interviews slated for early fall, will be to select a developer," said Jason Pizer, President of Trinity Real Estate. "Given the significance of the site, we thought it was appropriate to reverse the usual procedure and choose an architect first, establishing the primacy of a design that respects the building's relationship to the iconic Trinity Church and contributes to its context—followed by selection of a capable development team sympathetic to that goal," he said. Mr. Pizer also noted that the decision as to whether the residential portion will be a rental or condominium will be determined before the developer is selected.
The entrance to the residential tower will be from Greenwich Street while the entrance to the church-related space will be located on Trinity Place. Access to the church will be maintained via the existing pedestrian bridge across Trinity Place. The new structure will contain a parish hall, facilities and offices for Trinity's expanding ministry, the Sunday school and rooms for use by community organizations (more than 60 groups currently use 68-74 Trinity Place). Trinity will continue to operate its preschool, presently housed at 68-74 Trinity Place, at a new neighborhood location. It is anticipated that construction of the new structure of 296,000 square feet will begin in the fall of 2014, with completion slated in 2017. Interim relocation plans are being developed to relocate all existing ministry activities and related staff offices housed in 68-74 Trinity Place to a location in close proximity to the church. Tags: