Chelsea Enclave makes a deal with soul

From the November issue: For many of the churches in New York City that grabbed the opportunity to get solvent by selling their air rights or even parts of their property during the real estate boom, the day of reckoning is at hand. Now, many a religious building is finding that the towering new glass-and-steel condo appendage to their once peaceful little retreat blocks the sun and sky, attracting the ire of the community. Some churches might wonder if they’ve sold their souls in their real estate dealings. The Chelsea Enclave, a luxury apartment building under construction on the edge of property owned by the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in West Chelsea, might be one exception. The seminary negotiated long and hard to make sure the new construction on their land would be something it could live with.