A Parking Lot, a $1 Million Pledge From the Pews and 174 Homes: How a Church in Jamaica, Queens Built Tree of Life

• First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens, built 174 homes on its parking lot
• The $74 million project includes a federally qualified health centre
• Members pledged $1 million; the largest single pledge was $20,000
• 1748 incorporation papers turned up two days before closing

A church in Jamaica, Queens, New York, has shown how a congregation can turn a car park into homes. Presbyterian News Service reported on Tree of Life, a $74 million development of 174 rental units built on the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, which also includes a federally qualified health centre and community space.

The idea began with a survey carried out by a seminary intern. “Even though the survey took 12½ minutes to complete, 1,200 neighbors assented to doing just that,” said the Rev Patrick O’Connor, who has been senior pastor for 33 years. The need was clear. “Families need three bedrooms, and you can’t find those in the neighborhood,” he said.

The congregation backed the vision with its own money, pledging $1 million between them. “The largest pledge was $20,000. It was a statement this vision meant something to them,” Mr O’Connor said. Carol Rosenthal, a land-use lawyer, gave 18 years of pro bono help, and three bankers helped secure a further $2 million. The deal closed in 2008, despite the conditions of the Great Recession, and could only go ahead after the church’s incorporation papers from 1748 were found in the Queens Hall of Records two days before closing.

Mr O’Connor says the lesson is to leave the building and listen. “If you leave the building, you’ll hear some of the stories you need to hear. If you’re in the building, you’ll never hear them,” he said. “If you believe in what God has called you to do, go fight for it.”

Tree of Life is a lesson in land, paperwork and patience. The church did not sell its property; it used it. It also needed centuries-old paperwork to prove its standing at the last minute. Jamaican churches with idle lots, and diaspora congregations in places like Queens, face the same basic requirements: clear title, legal help, members willing to put in their own money, and the persistence to see a project through years of setbacks.

Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com