Read the full article here.
By Gus Saltonstall
The atmosphere was festive last week inside of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and West 99th Street.
The church, which first opened on the same Upper West Side corner in 1807, held an event for locals on Thursday to highlight the recent improvements that have taken place within the landmarked building.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Michael’s has undergone a renovation project that has seen the following upgrades take place:
- Two new external wheelchair-accessible ramps and an elevator.
- New accessible bathrooms.
- Traffic flow improved within the building by better connecting the Parish House and Sanctuary.
- A new nursery space.
- Infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to electrical, plumbing, and draining.
In its first phase of renovation, the church focused on the more “nuts and bolts” elements of the two-century-old building, and will now shift its focus to better utilizing already-existing spaces for music, events, and meals.
“There has been a desire to serve,” Rev. Katharine Flexer, who has been at the church since 2005, told West Side Rag. “When we began to engage the question of the building’s accessibility, we made sure to ask — ‘how can we make it accessible for all?’”
Staff and members of the church led groups Thursday on a tour of the building to highlight where the changes have taken place and where future improvements might be made. Councilmembers Shaun Abreu and Gale Brewer were both in attendance, as well as a representative from Sen. Brad Hoyyman-Sigal’s office.