Earlier this summer, the developers behind the newly renovated 129 Russell Street building (formerly Park Church Co-op) provoked the ire of the neighborhood after the changes to the building’s exterior were finally revealed.
The once-beloved church and community space had undergone a muted millennial makeover, covered in white paint with a window design straight from The Sims 2 (in particular, the off-center window above the front door became a lightning rod of controversy).
​A real estate agent recently released listings for some of the apartments on RentHop, ranging from two to five bedrooms and priced between $7,500 and $12,500 (most of those listings have now been removed, but you can still find one for unit 1B). It’s a fairly bog-standard design overall, so whatever your initial opinion of the exterior is, it is unlikely to change.
The listings initially boasted “unheard of tall ceilings,” which the first floor units did not benefit from, looking a bit cramped and devoid of light. According to this photo posted on Reddit, many of the building’s back windows will face each other.

​Neighbors fought for years to save Park Church, a space that many relied on as a community center. In 2021, the Metropolitan Synod of New York announced its intention to sell the space, citing financial concerns and a dwindling congregation. As a religious building, the sale was under the purview of the state Attorney General’s office. A judge paused a sale from going through in 2023, during which time neighbors attempted to raise money for a counteroffer to keep the church as a community space. However, those efforts were ultimately unsuccessful; Avraham Garbo, along with Dutch entrepreneur and social media influencer Sara Rottenberg, purchased the 5,400-square-foot property for $4.7 million last year. Garbo’s GW Russell LLC officially owns the building.

Excellent report. This is and has happened all over the city especially with Catholic Churches. Church goers contributed all throughout their lives to these churches to keep them going and now that they are no longer viable instead of building senior housing for the church goers that are still left they rip them off with these outrageous lux. type apts.