Syracuse, N.Y. -- New York is chipping in another $1 million to help a couple turn a historic castle-like Syracuse church into a conference and event venue, social lounge and job training center.
The state has awarded the grant from its Restore New York Communities Initiative to redevelop the former South Presbyterian Church in a low-income neighborhood on the city’s South Side. The initiative is designed to restore distressed urban areas of the state.
Evelyn Ingram and her husband Chino have an agreement to buy the vacant stone church from the Greater Syracuse Land Bank and turn it into a place for conferences, events such as weddings and a place for training workers in the culinary arts, health education, customer service and other fields.
The building is on the National Register of Historic Places, so its redevelopment will be eligible for federal and state historic preservation tax credits.
The facility, to be named The Castle, would be equipped with a full commercial kitchen, creating 13 full-time and 29 part -time jobs, according to the couple.
The Syracuse Planning Commission voted 5-0 on March 13 to approve the combination of six parcels of land to allow the project to go forward.
Built in 1905 at the northwest corner of South Salina and West Colvin streets, the church served for many years as a sanctuary for Blacks escaping segregation in the South and became known for its interracial advocacy and interdenominational alliances.
The church closed in the early 2000s following years of declining membership. Many of its stained glass and other artifacts were later removed by collectors.
This is the second state grant for the project. Last year, Empire State Development, the state’s economic development arm, approved $1.2 million for the project. At the time, the Ingrams estimated the cost of the renovations at $8 million.
Even with the ESD grant, the project had a $1.3 million funding gap. The new state grant of $1 million would go a long way toward closing that gap, but Evelyn Ingram said labor and material costs have risen significantly over the past year.
“With these types of projects, the costs are a revolving door,” she said. “Unfortunately, the cost has increased, so the gap has widened.”
She said she and her husband are working on the design, looking for ways to reduce costs. She said she is hopeful that work can start of the church next year.
“It’s a very involved process,” she said. “There’s a lot of preliminary work that has to occur before we’re able to begin the renovations.”
Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
Ad Choices