Remaining congregants of Presbyterian church in Manhattan see no financially viable future for 133-year-old church.

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is considering the fate of a 133-year-old church building in Manhattan that seemingly only has attracted investors interested in the land beneath it rather than any attempting to preserve the structure.

In a presentation submitted by remaining West-Park Presbyterian Church congregation members and a potential redeveloper, the proposal’s authors state, “No other house of worship has expressed interest in acquiring the building and taking on the responsibility for restoration and repair.”

That same presentation indicates that “so far in 2022, the church has spent about $70,000 to address urgent repairs” mandated by New York’s Department of Buildings (DOB).

The demolition and redevelopment project applicant team includes the current administration chair of the church and representatives from Alchemy Properties and FXCollaborative Architects, both based in New York.

In its presentation to the Landmarks Commission, the project’s backers state clearly, “The prospective purchaser [is seeking] an application for a permit to demolish [and] intends, in good faith, either to demolish such improvement immediately for the purpose of constructing on the site thereof with reasonable promptness a new building or other facility.”

The presentation acknowledges the church building’s 19th century heritage, but makes a case for the parcel returning to the city’s proper tax roles and portrays the congregation as dwindling in numbers and having been unable to find a preservationist-minded buyer.

Regarding the church’s viability, the presentation slides state that a “once vibrant congregation has shrunk from over 200 members in the 1980s to approximately a dozen today,” and that the church has not had a full-time pastor since 2017.

In terms of preservation attempts, the demolition and redevelopment project backers say “Since 2013, the church spent over $1 million to maintain the building, expending all of its financial resources.  The church has expended all of its financial resources to maintain the building and is currently relying on loans from the Presbytery of New York City to cover operating expenses and repair costs.”

Noting an arts center has been a recent tenant at the church property, Alchemy Properties says that, “contingent on the issuance of a demolition permit” it will provide the church with 10,000 square feet of space for “worship, community activities and arts programs.”

Some of the group’s proposals involve the renovation of existing space or building shells. However, the project’s backers also state, “A reasonable return, as defined [in the New York administrative code], cannot be achieved in any of the [renovation] scenarios.”

One proposed building layout from Alchemy and FXCollaborative is described as a multi-story mixed use building with arts and community, commercial and retail space on the ground floor and apartments above.

A report from New York-based West Side Rag delves into the history of building landmark status and its impact on urban planning and demolition activity. Carol Tannenhauser writes that the New York Landmarks Commission “is not used to sorting out this sort of situation; its mission is to save historic structures, not issue their death sentences.”

Nonetheless, that commission is expected to examine the proposal and issue a ruling in September.

ARRA event offers programming and networking at scenic venue.

The Illinois-based Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association (ARRA) has scheduled its Pavement Recycling Summit for Sept. 26-29 at the Marriott on the Falls hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

According to ARRA, the event has been designed to bring together industry members to “learn and understand the importance of utilizing industry leading best practices” in asphalt recycling. Also being discussed or presented will be “the latest innovations and technology being used and developed for and by our industry,” ARRA says.

The 2023 event includes a tour of a facility operated by paving materials producer Walker Industries, presentations on different types of asphalt recycling techniques, and an evening reception at a winery owned by former hockey player Wayne Gretzky.

The event has gained the support of several sponsors, including equipment makers Astec, Wirtgen Group and Caterpillar.

The association says that as of May of this year, Canadian Travel Guidelines call for all those entering Canada to be vaccinated against COVID-19. More information about the event can be found here.

Equipment association to host January 2023 AED Summit in Chicago.

The Illinois-based Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) organization is hosting the 2023 AED Summit at the Hyatt Regency Chicago from Jan. 10-12.

AED, which also co-hosts ConExpo-Con/Agg every three years in Las Vegas, says its summit brings together “thousands of professionals” involved in the heavy equipment sector as distributors, manufacturers and service providers. “Each year, more than 500 companies attend and participate in Summit,” AED says.

The organization says dealers attend to find new products to distribute and to network with industry peers while manufacturers meet with their existing dealers and with new potential dealers.

Private meetings rooms can be booked for manufacturer-dealer negotiations while the CONference Dealer EXpo (CONDEX) provides a chance for attendees to meet in a more public setting.

More information on the 2023 AED Summit can be found here.

The plant features a 2612V Vari-Vibe high-frequency screen, which uses a rotary tensioning system that allows quick screen media changes on the market.

Astec Industries’ Materials Solutions Group, an equipment manufacturer for asphalt road building, aggregate processing and more based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, recently launched a mobile high-frequency screening plant called the GT2612V.   

The plant features a 2612V Vari-Vibe high-frequency screen. The two-deck screen uses a rotary tensioning system that allows for quick screen media changes on the market, giving producers more uptime. The 2612V also has deck-mounted, variable speed hydraulic vibrators, a hydraulic mechanism for varying operating angles, a fines collecting hopper, top and bottom deck discharge chutes and an aggregate spreader. The screen can quickly and efficiently size crushed stone, recycled asphalt pavement, sand, gravel, coal and more.  

The mobile GT2612V is manufactured on a heavy-duty, welded steel main frame with a channel cross-section. The company says a walkway around the screen and remote grease lubrication for ground-level access make maintenance simple.   

The plant includes a large hopper with a capacity of eight cubic yards that is equipped with 6-inch sloped grizzly openings and a remote tipping grid. The hopper also includes foldable wings and hydraulic support legs. The variable-speed, 48-inch-wide belt feeder features a high-torque hydraulic drive, full-length impact bed, rubber lagged head pulley and self-cleaning wing tail pulley.   

The screen plant is equipped with four conveyors, including a delivery conveyor, two side conveyors and a fines conveyor. All conveyors feature a variable-speed hydraulic drive and easily fold for transport.   

The GT2612V is powered by a Caterpillar Tier 4 Final, 136 horsepower engine, while engine-mounted mounted hydraulic pumps operate all plant functions. The plant includes a PLC control system with pendant remote controls for the tracks.   

Additional options for the GT2612V mobile plant include engine alternatives like the Caterpillar Tier 3 and Stage V, 15-foot hopper/feeder in lieu of standard for additional capacity, heavier-duty grizzly section with replaceable grouser bar cartridge and more. 

Magnetic equipment firm also adds communication tool for prospective customers.

Maple Heights, Ohio-based Ohio Magnetics, a maker of lifting and separating magnet equipment, says it has redesigned its website in part to accentuate the breadth of its product line.

On the redesigned site, Ohio Magnetics says its products are categorized so current and prospective customers can “quickly find all the available options.” According to the firm, new website content includes product and application images and videos as well as updated product specification tables.

“Our new website was designed to help customers easily find details about our magnet systems,” says Tim Schuh, Ohio Magnetics sales manager. “We also added a new communication tool to quickly reach our team with product inquiries and other questions.”

Ohio Magnetic product pages include several for lifting magnets, including those designed to handle scrap or finished steel; several types of magnetic separation equipment, including suspended pulley and drum magnets; and magnet controllers and related items. Information on the company’s parts and service and “remag program” also is available on the website.

Ohio Magnetics is a portfolio company of Dublin, Ohio-based HBD Industries Inc., which describes itself as a privately held diversified manufacturer of industrial products, including alloy components, industrial rubber products and power transmission equipment.?