Manhattan congregation buys former library site

Real Estate Weekly, March 15, 1995 by Lois Weiss

A Manhattan congregation is rejoicing after submitting the winning bid at a public auction to buy a former New York City library building for its new home. But at the same time the synagogue's 200 members are praying for the funds to complete the deal.

According to attorney Jack Weprin, who' s wife Jane chair's the membership of the West End Synagogue, the 8,000 square-foot two-story building, located at the end of a shopping strip at 70th and Amsterdam, is the perfect site for the congregation's new home. Up until now, the synagogue has been renting space at the Heschel School where the lease for its cramped quarters is up for renewal this fall.

Weprin, a partner with Goldberg Weprin & Ustin, heads up the reconstructionist temple's Buy or Rent Committee. Last October, he recalled, the property was put up for auction with a minimum upset price of $800,000, but there were no bidder.

This time around, the upset price was reduced to $600,000 and the auction attracted three bidders. The first bidder, a theater company, quickly dropped out of the running. Then with only one other bidder left, the gavel finally fell. The temple would become the new owner but had an $840,000 nut to crack.

Since the city provides 65 percent financing, Weprin said, they are in the middle of a fund raising drive to complete compilation of the downpayment.

Last fall, Weprin hosted a gathering of clients and temple members at his home for "an old fashioned Depression Era Rent Party" that netted $75,000. A further push at temple members got that number up to $200,000.

"Now we're raising the money to close," he said. "We think people in the real estate industry will understand that it will create another institution to service all of its people.

Weprin says the vacant former city library building, constructed in 1967, is worth more than double what the temple is paying. "It's a very modern building," he said.

The site is also central to a number of new housing developments that are going up and are planned for the West Side.

According to an article written by the temple's Rabbi Avi Winokur, Reconstructionist members conceive of God as the ultimate cosmic force. Reconstructionism does affirm God, but a naturalistic or transnaturalistic God. The West End Synagogue hosts the only Reconstructionist congregation in Manhattan.

"It is a chance to establish permanently a fine institution," Weprin added.