Peeking out on the right are the transept and apse of the Cathedral. Now take a look at the new building a block further west, from the southeast corner of Amsterdam and 110th.
The Cathedral set strict development guidelines for what could be built, which were recorded in a Restrictive Declaration with the City of New York. The guidelines set a limit on the height and bulk of new development, require that open space surround the structure and views of the Cathedral be protected.
Judge for yourself the success of these guidelines and note the implication the building could have been even bulkier and higher than it already is (the finished product will look like this). Also bear in mind the parcel of land to the north is about twice the size of the one built on here, allowing for an even bigger building. A couple of ironies: 1) It is unlikely many of the residents of these luxury rentals will be worshipers at St. John the Divine. 2) The number of residents could far outnumber the declining number of present worshipers at the Cathedral. It's looking more and more the future of the Episcopal Church is getting out of the business of saving souls and into real estate development.
Correction: the southern portion of the Cathedral grounds were leased to AvalonBay Communities, Inc., a real-estate investment trust, not Columbia University which has signed an eight-year option agreement "to lease the land and build an academic facility" on the northern portion of the Cathedral grounds. There are no specific plans for building on it at present. The posting above has been altered to reflect this correction.
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