Update on the St. Joseph Parish development project

The Association of New York Catholic Homes for Human Development and the Archdiocese of New York has partnered to transform the former home of St. Joseph Parish at 1949 Bathgate Avenue in the Bronx

As the Bronx gentrifies, calls for ‘Development without Displacement'

As gentrification intensifies in the South Bronx, new development projects, sponsored by city agencies, highlight the need for truly affordable housing development in all city neighborhoods.

Evangelical Church Disciples of Christ and Brisa Builder reconcile

After a multi-year legal battle with their development partners, Brisa Builders, the Evangelical Church Disciples of Christ have moved into their new home

Calvary Baptist Church Partners with Alchemy-ABR Investments and Cain

Alchemy-ABR Investments Partners and Cain International have acquired 125 West 57th Street on Midtown’s Development Row from Calvary Baptist Church.

IESNYC announces the 2021 Lumens Award winners

The New York Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IESNYC) has announced the 2021 winners of the Annual Lumens Award, which recognizes excellence in the lighting design industry.

Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens launches solar-energy project

Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, one of the largest faith-based affordable housing providers, has launched a solar-energy project across its existing 44 buildings.

LPC Approves Controversial Project at Hebron Seventh Day Adventist School

New York City’s Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) has approved plans for the development of two residential buildings on a lot shared by the landmarked Hebron Seventh Day Adventist School.

Houses of Worship Reconsider Their Real Estate During Pandemic

A 20-year-old college student in Texas is mapping every Manhattan address that used to be a synagogue

UMC Elects First Latinx Denominationwide Agency Head

United Methodist Church (UMC) Minister, Rev. Giovanni Arroyo becomes the first Latino head a denominationwide agency.

Uncovering the Socioeconomic Impact of FBOs

A 2016 study estimates the conservative measure of the socioeconomic impact of faith-based organizations is $378 billion dollars annually

Activists rally for the future of an African burial ground in Flatbush

Activists are calling for more engagement from local officials and for more respect for a site holding the remains of African slaves in Flatbush, Brooklyn

Bricks and Mortals Garners Strong Support from NYC Mayoral Candidates

Over the past several weeks Bricks and Mortals has been grateful to have the opportunity to meet with several candidates for New York City Mayor and their campaigns, including Eric Adams, Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Dianne Morales and Maya Wiley.

Trinity Church Wall Street Partners to Construct Sustainable Office Tower

Trinity Church Wall Street has partnered with Hines and Norges Bank Investment Management; the joint venture is being called Hudson Square Properties.

Hunter Studio Class Explores faith-based real estate in NYC

Bricks and Mortals, partnered with students from the Spring 2021 Hunter College Urban Policy and Planning Studio Team, guided by Professor Laura Wolf-Powers to produce a Faith in Place: A Study and Analysis of Faith-Based Organizations and Real Estate in New York City.

Brisa Builders developed & National Standard Abstract provided title insurance for $310m affordable housing projects

Two Black-Owned Firms Building Relationships, Communities, & Wealth One Project at a Time

PCUSA Awards 2021 Walton Award and Mission Grants

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) announced the 2021 winners of the Sam and Helen R. Walton Award.

The FAITH Endowment Funds St. Nicholas Shrine Reconstruction

The FAITH Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism announced a $2.57 million grant to rebuild the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

The Earth Has Been Made a Place of Prayer

The Shed hosted Aisha Amin’s "Open Call", The Earth Has Been Made a Place of Prayer, from June 1 - August 1, 2021.

Senior Affordable Housing Rising In Flatbush

The Bishop Philius and Helene Nicolas (BPHN) Senior Residence opened in April with 89 new senior housing units

The Last Remaining Ethiopian Orthodox Institution in Harlem Faces Eviction

The Beaata Le Mariam Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the last remaining Ethiopian Othodox institution in Harlem, is being evicted from its storefront home. 

Single family units to occupy former site of church

The site of the former St. Simon’s Episcopal Church in Staten Island is now the future home of 19 single family homes. 

Affordable Units Coming Up in Clinton Hill

Quinlan Development Group is bringing 138 mixed income units to 230 Classon Avenue in Clinton Hill.

Action Guide: How to Save a House of Faith

The Manhattan Borough President’s Office and the NYU Wagner School of Public Service have written the Land Use & Zoning Action Guide for Religious Facilities.

FBOs deliver 40% of vital services across six cities

Research by the Bridgespan group has found that FBOs spend two of every five dollars on vital services in six sample US cities and deliver 40% of vital services in six US cities

RAND Corporation supports Church-based Health Promotion

Churches, with research support from the RAND Organization, have begun tackling health disparities in low-income African-American and Latino communities in South Los Angeles. 

493 Units Coming to the LES

The Chinese American Planning Council has partnered with the Gotham Organization to produce 493 rental units on the Lower East side, with 208 affordable units and 115 set aside for senior affordable housing. 

Partners for Sacred Places Announces 2020 Awards for Religious Architecture

The winners of the 2020 Faith and Form/ID International Architecture Awards for Religious Architecture & Art has been announced by Partners for Sacred Places.

Applications open now for Sustainable Solutions for Sacred Sites!

Your congregation can live another day to pray another way - restore and revive your sacred real estate, and continue to serve your community.

5 Do's and 5 Don'ts for Utilizing Your Church Building Well

A physical space can be at the vital center of ministry—if you don't make it an idol.

America’s Epidemic of Empty Churches

Religious communities often face a choice: Sell off the buildings they can no longer afford, or find a way to fill them with new uses.

Dear Dolly Mama,

The Land keeper June 2019 Edition Evan Pritchard

For Churches, a Temptation to Sell

Religious leaders ponder whether selling their buildings to developers is really the best way to protect their congregations. The sight of old spires squeezed between new towering high-rises suggests the ability of churches and other houses of worship to hang on through block-altering building booms.

Forum recently held to discuss faith-based topics

‘An Invitation to Faith and Non-Profit Communities’ forum was held on Tuesday, October 29.

Grave concern at St. Peter’s/Planned 11-story complex may trample cemetery land

A major new development may be coming to a site west of Westchester Square, but not without some grave concern.

Grunin Prize Recognizes That, In Impact Investing, Lawyers Are Innovative, Too

In the world of impact enterprise and investing, lawyers don’t get a lot of love. But, in fact, they’re important behind-the-scenes players, building crucial structures, mechanisms and models that help make impact happen.

Houses of worship grappling with Harlem's development boom

The Rev. Darnell Harper stood in the darkened theater that for nearly 70 years has been the home of his Harlem church, the New Covenant ...

New York’s Trinity Church has a diverse investment portfolio worth $6 billion

As many churches in New York City struggle to survive and keep their buildings, Trinity Church, a land-rich, over 300-year-old congregation in Lower Manhattan, has emerged as a major real estate developer with a diverse investment portfolio worth $6 billion

Philanthropy Has an Extraordinary Opportunity To Help Religious Institutions In Crisis

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Reimagine worship spaces, resurrect churches from disuse

The pace of closings of buildings, if not congregations, is increasing as congregations get smaller and buildings get more expensive to maintain.

Sanctuary for Immigrants: Hugely Symbolic, Rarely Used

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The Church With the $6 Billion Portfolio

While many houses of worship are warding off developers as they struggle to hold on to their buildings, Trinity Church has become a big-time developer itself.

Remove the Pews and Let Sacred Sites Evolve

Adaptation is a fundamental environmental thought. It means evolution or evolving. It implies that nature changes and lives and dies. It means that nature is more like an organism than a thing.