Urban Warrior | Bias at issue in church fight

JUST AS THE Philadelphia Historical Commission prepares to vote on what may be its most important decision in years, allegations of racial bias are casting an ugly pall over the entire process.

And it's time to have a frank, open discussion about that.

At issue are two majestic old buildings on the edge of Mount Airy near Germantown: the Presser Home for retired musicians at 101 W. Johnson St. and the Nugent Home for retired Baptist ministers at 221 W. Johnson St. Both buildings are now being considered for historic designation, and a vote on one, the Presser Home, is scheduled for Sept. 27.

Preservationists say the buildings, built by famous Philadelphia philanthropists, helped to establish an important social movement and are architecturally unique. On the face of it, preserving them would seem to be an easy call.

However, a fast-growing and predominantly African-American church has an option to buy the two buildings, which sit on 4.5 acres of land. The Blair Christian Academy and Impact Your World Ministries want to tear them down and build a sleek new campus, including a 2,000-to-3,000 seat auditorium, a new school, and a five-story parking garage.

The church has a big investment in the property: It stands to lose $100,000 if the deal falls through.

Meanwhile, nearby homeowners - many of them black - and several neighborhood groups have banded together to request historic certification. That would prevent any owner from demolishing the buildings.

The buildings are irreplaceable, these neighbors say. Not only that, they don't want a busy new mega-church in the middle of their quiet, residential neighborhood.

So, for now, the church's development scheme is stalled.

And some of its members say they see racial bias at work.

"For the past 10 years, anyone of color who has tried to zone anything, the neighbors have fought them tooth and nail," said Melissa Bundy, a church member and Democratic committeewoman.

"The prior owner, who happens to be white, had those buildings for years, yet it's only now that neighbors put in a petition to have them declared historical. Now, why is that?" she asked. "Honestly, I think it's about color."

City councilwoman Donna Reed Miller echoed Bundy's complaint.

"After all these years, all of a sudden they want to get the buildings designated historic," Miller said. "That's the question I've heard, and it's what begins to raise a flag for people as to what is really going on here."

It's not the first time Miller's heard complaints about how historic certification is sometimes used.

"People do feel that sometimes historic designation is used in a way to prevent certain people from being able to develop," Miller continued. "If they have those concerns, then I can't say they're not legitimate. Racism is a charge that I can neither confirm nor deny."

Pastor Ray Barnard, the founder of the church, said he can't help but feel bias.

"I do question their motives here," Barnard told me. "Is this thing really about what's best for that site, or is it about who's going to control what goes on in that community?"

But the neighborhood groups insist that they are trying to do what's best for the community.

Marc Stier, executive director of the West Mount Airy Neighbors Association and one of the leaders of the effort to preserve the buildings, denies any racial element in the neighborhood opposition to the church plans.

First, he said, neighbors seeking to preserve them are themselves a diverse group.

Second, he said, neighbors are trying to protect the buildings now simply because it's the first time anyone spoke of tearing them both down.

In an editorial on this topic, which appeared in this week's edition of the Germantown Courier, Stier wrote:

"Those who fail to understand the ideals that motivate our concerns for these buildings have attributed evil motives to us. But in doing so, they have failed to truly see us."

Despite his disagreement, Stier told me he understands where all the resentment comes from.

"Racism has played a role in land use decisions in the past, you'd have to be fool to deny that," he said.

The task of protecting the two buildings is, indeed, a sensitive one.

That's why commission member Kathleen Murray recently requested a postponement of the vote on the Presser building, and a special hearing on the issue.

"The implications of racial division, whether real or perceived, are going to become part of this debate," said Murray. "And I think there is a sentiment that the commission acts independently, with no regard for community feelings."

Murray's right. Feelings matter.

And so do these two buildings.

"Quite simply, these two buildings have more historic significance than almost any other building that's come before the historic commission in all the years that I've been working on preservation in Philadelphia," said John Gallery, executive director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.

"And as for the Nugent building, I don't think there's another building like it anywhere else in the city."

The way I see it, both things need saving.

Let's not let these two important buildings become casualties of this dispute.

And Mount Airy's reputation as one of the nation's most successfully integrated communities also has tremendous value. It is worth preserving.

I hope that whatever happens at the commission hearing on the 27th, responsible community leaders will step up to address the reasons why neighbors feel race is an issue.

Because I agree with Stier, when he says that diverse communities like his need tending.

"There's a reason why Mount Airy has the reputation that it has," said Stier. "A diverse community like this one didn't just happen by mistake. It was made, through deliberate effort, by people who were determined to live in an integrated community."