Pentacostal

There'a partial vacate in place at the Iglesia Evangelica Pentacostal, on 13th Street.

The central issue appears to be the lack of an appropriate certificate of occupancy, with sufficient means of egress & assembly permits.   There are also violations related to construction without permits, and illegal residential use.  The building is still zoned for commercial & warehouse purposes, though it has belonged to the church for almost forty years, and was issued permits to convert it to a "community facility" twenty years ago.

It's a shame this didn't get sorted out decades ago.  The church has been around for such a long time, and until recently at least, has seemed to have an active congregation.  Sometimes, on hot summer evenings, I've passed the building with its doors wide open, and stopped to listen to the sounds of a service in progress.  Seventh Avenue, just up the block, always felt far, far away.

The C of Os on record at the D of B are interesting to look at.  The first, from 1923, shows the first floor used as storage for "five auto trucks"  and "two pleasure cars" (a lovely period term), and the second and third for mattress repair.  By 1930, the building was used for furniture storage, and in the 60s for electrical supplies.