Church born again
Roosevelt Island venue to offer bistro, fun
The lights are coming back on at a spooky, nearly century-old Roosevelt Island church — not for prayer, but for partying.
Hudson/Related, developer of the island’s nine-building Riverwalk apartment complex, has leased the former Dayspring Church and is turning it into a health-focused, “speakeasy-style bistro,” cocktail bar, alfresco beer garden and an event space for community and nonprofit use.
Hudson/Related controls 90,000 square feet of retail space on the island, including the 5,400-square-foot stone-cottage church at 851 Main St. The church, which has been renamed The Sanctuary, has been dark since Dayspring was booted for nonpayment of rent last winter. It’s been leased to a team headed by the Glow Group, a collaborative outfit that partners with local businesses and nonprofits.
The somewhat gloomylooking structure with stained glass windows and a “Hansel and Gretel” air was built in 1924 as a chapel for Metropolitan Hospital. It was abandoned in 1955 and remained empty until 1975.
Although only the event space will open later this fall and the restaurant in spring 2020, the place is already buzzing. It will host the Titan Theatre Company’s annual gala on Sept. 30 — and it served as a setting for TV’s “Prodigal Son” this week, reverting to its church status for the shoot.
Not to be confused with the island’s better-known Good Shepherd Church, the Sanctuary stands farther north, where Main Street turns west toward the Manhattan side of the East River. Although it’s hard for non-islanders to find, Hudson/Related said that “signage and way-finding aids throughout the island will be updated to include The Sanctuary.”
Glow Group is run by Frank Raffaele, who’s also behind the popular New Leaf Restaurant in Fort Tryon Park, java mini-chain Coffeed, and outdoor cafe/ event space LIC Landing. The Sanctuary is a personal project of Raffaele’s and is separate from the other eateries. The team also includes Raffaele’s longtime business partner Gene Sky, tech entrepreneur Tom Chernaik and nonprofit organization Helping Humans Across America.
Hudson/Related is a joint venture of residential developer Hudson Companies and Hudson Yards developer Related Companies.
“This beautiful, historic building has been a place of comfort and celebration for nearly 100 years,” Hudson Companies’ project manager Alexandra Kaplan said. “As it lay vacant, we knew it had potential to bring even more memories to this community … while maintaining the historical integrity of this incredible structure.”