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The Hebron School project is a collaboration between the Seventh-day Adventist church, a 40-year-old bilingual school for the children of immigrant families, and a community-minded developer to preserve a historic site in North Crown Heights, save a struggling school and build affordable new housing that all New Yorkers can benefit from.
For over forty years, The Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School has provided its nursery through eighth grade students with a rigorous curriculum. Aside from education, The Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School fosters an environment that allows its students to explore then express their creativity through song and dance.
The Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School – which primarily teaches lower-income children from Brooklyn’s Haitian Community – is a partner in, and beneficiary of this project. Without it, The Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School will not be able to protect its historic building from deteriorating and may have to close. The school will not be able to open and operate for this upcoming 2020 school year due to the current hazardous structural conditions in The Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School.
Hebron French-speaking Seventh-day Adventist Church Board
Hebron SDA Bilingual School Board
President of the Northeastern Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist.
Read the letter"Seventh-day Adventist head proposes affordable housing project."
Read the ArticleOur proposed project will allow us to preserve our historic building while protecting the future of The Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School for generations to come.
The SDA Hebron School – which primarily teaches lower-income children from Brooklyn’s Haitian Community – is a partner in and beneficiary of the project. Without the project, the school will not be able to protect the building from deteriorating and may have to close.
The original structure was built in 1888 and designed by Mercein Thomas in the Romanesque Revival style. It previously served as the former Brooklyn Methodist Episcopal Church Home.
It is the only 19th century institutional building remaining in the North Crown Heights Historic District and one of its most impressive examples of Romanesque Revival architecture. The Brooklyn Methodist Church Home was founded in 1883 to create and maintain a comfortable residence with board, clothing, employment, medical aid, and other necessary care and attendance for the elderly of the church.
The original structure consisted of the central portion of the present building, anchored at its northeastern corner by a high tower with an octagonal, dormer roof.
It was expanded between 1911 and 1913 according to the designs of builder William Kennedy, who sat on the Home‘s advisory board. Kennedy‘s eastern wing mimicked Thomas‘ original design, while a new chapel extending from the western facade of the original building was executed in the Gothic Revival style. The Church Home moved to a different Brooklyn location in 1976, and the building is now occupied by The Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School.
By building rent stabilized rental housing on the vacant land including 30% of which will be affordable rental units, we will be able to raise the funds we need to preserve The Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School, a 131-year-old landmark that has fallen in to disrepair. In addition, the school will receive a brand new indoor state-of-the-art gymnasium that will be used for sporting and other artistic programming.
Our project not only fits within the existing zoning, but will be built as of right, similar to the apartment buildings nearby.
Hopestreet won approvals in the past from landmarks including in our Crown Heights Historic District and recent collaboration with the 19th century landmark Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew preserve the building at 520 Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.
Its understated red-brick design is also purposely reminiscent and respectful of the adjacent landmarked building in which it stands shorter than the highest point of the church.
Our proposed project at 959 Sterling Place will allow us to preserve our historic building while protecting the future of our school for generations to come. Please show your support by signing the petition below for City approval.
We support the proposed project at 959 Sterling Place in Crown Heights for approval by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
This project will preserve a landmarked building in a historic district while adding needed housing to the neighborhood and protecting the future of the Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School, a bilingual school for the children of immigrant families.
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