Latest news with #St.JohntheBaptist
CNBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
We spent $104 million turning an abandoned 19th-century college in NYC into luxury apartments—take a look inside
When Matt Linde and Udi Kore were first approached to develop the old site of St. John's College's campus in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, it was a dream come true for the two men who grew up in the area. Linde, CEO of People Restoring Communities, and Kore, Founding Partner at Avenue Realty Capital, first walked through the property in the summer of 2017. The building has had many names over the years since the cornerstone was laid in 1869. It has been known as the College of St. John the Baptist, St. John's College, and St. John's University, New York, before relocating to its current campus in Queens, which is now simply referred to as St. John's University. It was abandoned by the university after classes ceased in 1972 and had been deteriorating for decades. The Roman Catholic church next door, St. John the Baptist, used it for various purposes over the years, including as a nunnery and a boarding school. "I think it looked like a great place to shoot a horror movie. Paint was chipping off the walls. Holes everywhere. Debris all over the floor, birds flying through it. It was clearly a severely neglected asset," Linde tells CNBC Make It. "Combine that with the beautiful bones of this building, amazing high ceilings, amazing arch windows, it wasn't difficult to see the vision that you could take this building and turn it into something beautiful." Following the initial walkthrough, the business partners agreed that the existing floor plans were suitable for converting the property into a luxury apartment building. After some negotiations, Linde was able to secure a 99-year ground lease from St. John the Baptist, which grants his company the right to construct and operate for the entire duration of the lease. "At the end of the 99 years, unless the church agrees to let us extend it and sign another lease, the lease hold will return to the Catholic Church," Linde says. The partners say that, for the church, it was vital that the old college be preserved, but also converted for better use. "It was very important for the church to keep the original elements of this structure, but find a way to convert it to a better use that will create some sort of income for the church," Kore says. "They just wanted someone to come in and create a business plan that made sense for them to convert it and still be a really good part of the fabric of this neighborhood and that's what we essentially did." When Linde and Kore got on board with the project, they had to pay $3.7 million to take over the lease. In addition, they had to split the lots where the old college and St. John the Baptist sit so the church could maintain their tax exemption and the building could be taxed like any other property. For funding, they secured a construction loan of $72,125,000 and had an additional $31,502,859 from private equity for a total of $103,627,859, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Property taxes for the building are around $700,000 a year. Renovations began in 2020. That process included adding a new wing and connecting the older wing to it, as well as building an underground parking garage. The old college was converted into a 205-apartment building, with 147 one-bedroom units, 48 studios, and 10 two-bedroom units. The partners named the building The Hartby, as an homage to the cross streets Hart Street and Willoughby Avenue. Of the 205 units, 62 are designated for affordable housing, meaning the rents will range from $2,495 to $3,939 per month and are accessible via the NYC Housing Connect lottery. The rent for the remaining apartments ranges between $3,130 and $6,950 per month. The Hartby has some of the old college's original details like exposed brick and a window that was originally part of the school's chapel. Linde and Kore also created a courtyard and what they call a winter garden that connects the apartment building to the historic church. Other amenities include a lounge, gym, yoga room and business center. The Hartby started leasing in April of this year, and the building is currently at around 50% occupancy and 70% leased. Linde and Kore estimate the building will be fully leased by September. Linde and Kore say The Hartby has been embraced by the people in the neighborhood, who specifically appreciate their choice to honor the original design of the old college. The church, they say, was also in complete shock when they saw the completed project. "I think they were a little bit in awe when they came in here because they've seen it in disrepair for so many years," Kore says. "They really felt like we did what we said we were going to do, which is to preserve as much of it as possible so it will never be forgotten. I think it's one of those landmarks that will hopefully be part of Brooklyn forever."
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
A Tohono O'odham family integrates Catholic and Native beliefs in the Arizona desert
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — On St. John the Baptist's feast day in late June, an extended Tohono O'odham family attends Mass out at their desert camp, where they gather to harvest saguaro fruit in a process sacred in their Native spirituality. 'When you're raised as being a Catholic and raised as being an O'odham, you have both of those within your home, you have both of those within your family,' said Maria Francisco. 'So it's a combination.' With her cousin, Tanisha Tucker Lohse, and about three dozen other family members and friends, Francisco worshipped at the early morning Mass in a ramada — a canopy topped with saguaro ribs to provide shade, this one decorated with paper flowers. A folding table covered by a white and gold tablecloth served as an altar. A priest visited from Tucson to celebrate the Mass. A statuette of St. John the Baptist stood by a bunch of fresh flowers, candles and burning desert sage in lieu of incense. There also were photographs of Tucker's late mom and their great-great-aunt, known as 'Grandma Juanita,' whose advocacy preserved the camp. Juana is Spanish for Jane, so she celebrated her name day on St. John's and the family is continuing the tradition. A dozen cross-shaped saguaro fruit-picking poles leaned behind the table. Made from saguaro ribs, they're used to hook the fruits and push or pull them down from the towering plants. The history of encounters between Catholicism and Native spirituality has often been marred by violence and oppression. But many members of the Tohono O'odham Nation hold onto both faith traditions as they were passed down since the late 17th century, when an Italian-born Jesuit missionary, the Rev. Eusebio Kino, introduced Christianity to these remote deserts in what now are the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. 'To me, it's the lived consequence of trying to do Catholicism on their own,' said Seth Schermerhorn, a Hamilton College professor who studies Indigenous adoption of Christian practices. Many O'odham villages have mission churches, though a shortage of priests means regular Mass is a rarity. The Rev. Aro Varnabas came from his parish, Saint Kateri, to celebrate this service. 'Making people feel connected to God through the things they're familiar with, that's what I see,' he said. Michael Enis, who works for the O'odham's San Xavier's district — home to one of the most beautifully decorated colonial Catholic churches in the Southwest, San Xavier del Bac — brought his three young children. He sees a special kinship between his nation and Jesus' cousin, who lived off the desert, calling for repentance at the risk of his life, and baptized Christ himself in the Jordan River. 'You connect the story of St. John and O'odham life, and you're stronger for it,' Enis said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
02-07-2025
- General
A Tohono O'odham family integrates Catholic and Native beliefs in the Arizona desert
TUCSON, Ariz. -- On St. John the Baptist's feast day in late June, an extended Tohono O'odham family attends Mass out at their desert camp, where they gather to harvest saguaro fruit in a process sacred in their Native spirituality. 'When you're raised as being a Catholic and raised as being an O'odham, you have both of those within your home, you have both of those within your family,' said Maria Francisco. 'So it's a combination.' With her cousin, Tanisha Tucker Lohse, and about three dozen other family members and friends, Francisco worshipped at the early morning Mass in a ramada — a canopy topped with saguaro ribs to provide shade, this one decorated with paper flowers. A folding table covered by a white and gold tablecloth served as an altar. A priest visited from Tucson to celebrate the Mass. A statuette of St. John the Baptist stood by a bunch of fresh flowers, candles and burning desert sage in lieu of incense. There also were photographs of Tucker's late mom and their great-great-aunt, known as 'Grandma Juanita,' whose advocacy preserved the camp. Juana is Spanish for Jane, so she celebrated her name day on St. John's and the family is continuing the tradition. A dozen cross-shaped saguaro fruit-picking poles leaned behind the table. Made from saguaro ribs, they're used to hook the fruits and push or pull them down from the towering plants. The history of encounters between Catholicism and Native spirituality has often been marred by violence and oppression. But many members of the Tohono O'odham Nation hold onto both faith traditions as they were passed down since the late 17th century, when an Italian-born Jesuit missionary, the Rev. Eusebio Kino, introduced Christianity to these remote deserts in what now are the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. 'To me, it's the lived consequence of trying to do Catholicism on their own,' said Seth Schermerhorn, a Hamilton College professor who studies Indigenous adoption of Christian practices. Many O'odham villages have mission churches, though a shortage of priests means regular Mass is a rarity. The Rev. Aro Varnabas came from his parish, Saint Kateri, to celebrate this service. 'Making people feel connected to God through the things they're familiar with, that's what I see,' he said. Michael Enis, who works for the O'odham's San Xavier's district — home to one of the most beautifully decorated colonial Catholic churches in the Southwest, San Xavier del Bac — brought his three young children. He sees a special kinship between his nation and Jesus' cousin, who lived off the desert, calling for repentance at the risk of his life, and baptized Christ himself in the Jordan River. 'You connect the story of St. John and O'odham life, and you're stronger for it,' Enis said. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
02-07-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
A Tohono O'odham family integrates Catholic and Native beliefs in the Arizona desert
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — On St. John the Baptist's feast day in late June, an extended Tohono O'odham family attends Mass out at their desert camp, where they gather to harvest saguaro fruit in a process sacred in their Native spirituality. 'When you're raised as being a Catholic and raised as being an O'odham, you have both of those within your home, you have both of those within your family,' said Maria Francisco. 'So it's a combination.' With her cousin, Tanisha Tucker Lohse, and about three dozen other family members and friends, Francisco worshipped at the early morning Mass in a ramada — a canopy topped with saguaro ribs to provide shade, this one decorated with paper flowers. A folding table covered by a white and gold tablecloth served as an altar. A priest visited from Tucson to celebrate the Mass. A statuette of St. John the Baptist stood by a bunch of fresh flowers, candles and burning desert sage in lieu of incense. There also were photographs of Tucker's late mom and their great-great-aunt, known as 'Grandma Juanita,' whose advocacy preserved the camp. Juana is Spanish for Jane, so she celebrated her name day on St. John's and the family is continuing the tradition. A dozen cross-shaped saguaro fruit-picking poles leaned behind the table. Made from saguaro ribs, they're used to hook the fruits and push or pull them down from the towering plants. The history of encounters between Catholicism and Native spirituality has often been marred by violence and oppression. But many members of the Tohono O'odham Nation hold onto both faith traditions as they were passed down since the late 17th century, when an Italian-born Jesuit missionary, the Rev. Eusebio Kino, introduced Christianity to these remote deserts in what now are the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. 'To me, it's the lived consequence of trying to do Catholicism on their own,' said Seth Schermerhorn, a Hamilton College professor who studies Indigenous adoption of Christian practices. Many O'odham villages have mission churches, though a shortage of priests means regular Mass is a rarity. The Rev. Aro Varnabas came from his parish, Saint Kateri, to celebrate this service. 'Making people feel connected to God through the things they're familiar with, that's what I see,' he said. Michael Enis, who works for the O'odham's San Xavier's district — home to one of the most beautifully decorated colonial Catholic churches in the Southwest, San Xavier del Bac — brought his three young children. He sees a special kinship between his nation and Jesus' cousin, who lived off the desert, calling for repentance at the risk of his life, and baptized Christ himself in the Jordan River. 'You connect the story of St. John and O'odham life, and you're stronger for it,' Enis said. ___
Toronto Star
02-07-2025
- General
- Toronto Star
A Tohono O'odham family integrates Catholic and Native beliefs in the Arizona desert
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — On St. John the Baptist's feast day in late June, an extended Tohono O'odham family attends Mass out at their desert camp, where they gather to harvest saguaro fruit in a process sacred in their Native spirituality. 'When you're raised as being a Catholic and raised as being an O'odham, you have both of those within your home, you have both of those within your family,' said Maria Francisco. 'So it's a combination.'
