Church signs $4M contract to sell to home developers in Eltingville

Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America signed a contract to sell 300 Genesee Avenue in Eltingville, Staten Island for $4 million to developers Diane Kramer, David Fogel and Michael Kramer through the company Leni Homes LLC, according to a petition filed in Manhattan State Supreme Court seeking approval for the sale. LINK

The sale comes seven years after the local church tried to split from the national Evangelical Lutheran Church as its congregation declined.

According tot the petition, the property “is improved with a church building and a school. For many years, Eltingville was a congregation in great distress. The Synod Council imposed synodical administration for a variety of reasons, including: (i) the membership of Eltingville had become so scattered and diminished in numbers as to make it impractical for Eltingville to fulfill the purposes for which it was organized, (ii) Eltingville had been without a full time pastor since 2009, (iii) Eltingville was failing to make required reports, (iv) Eltingville’s employees and suppliers were not being paid, (v) Eltingville was selling its real property and borrowing from banks to meet its financial obligations After the March 15, 2016 meeting where the Synod imposed synodical administration, Eltingville then took a vote to disaffiliate with the ELCA and the Synod. The Property is currently vacant and not being utilized. The Synod has been expending significant funds in administering the Property, including safeguarding, securing, maintaining, heating, and insuring the Property. The Synod engaged Richard W. Eaddy, a New York licensed real estate broker, of Savills USA.”

The property in Eltingville has 34,514 square feet of built space and 2,226 square feet of additional air rights for a total buildable of 37,100 square feet according to a PincusCo analysis of city data. The parcel has three buildings with frontage of 230 feet and is 371 feet deep with a total lot size of 74,200 square feet. The zoning is R3A which allows for up to 0.5 times floor area ratio (FAR) for residential. The city-designated market value for the property in 2022 is $4 million.

Direct link to the property’s ACRIS page and link to DOB NOW portal.