Conservancy Board Member Works to Stop Church Demolition
Our Lady of Loreto, Ocean Hill-Brownsville Brooklyn
Longtime Conservancy Board Member and former Chair Frank Sciame is in discussions with the Brooklyn Diocese, seeking a compromise to save the 1908 Our Lady of Loreto, a former National Italian Catholic Church.
The ornate Renaissance-Revival structure was once the heart of a thriving Italian community in Ocean Hill-Brownsville Brooklyn. It was closed by the Diocese two years ago and the Diocese announced plans last year to demolish the church and build low-income housing on the site.
Former parishioners and others rallied to save the church, seeking an alternative development plan that would spare the early cast stone building and asking the Conservancy’s counsel.
Mr. Sciame’s involvement, as a respected developer and construction manager, brought negotiations with the Diocese to a new level. The Diocese is now willing to consider saving the building for an appropriate community use, while still creating some units of affordable housing.
The church’s ornate interior features an arcade running along the nave, a coffered ceiling and decoratively painted surfaces while its exterior was inspired by the Renaissance era Basilica of Loreto, in the Marches region of Italy. The stained glass windows have been removed.
The building is eligible for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
