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Uptown Church Warns of Noise as New Phase of Renovation Begins

 Fort Washington Collegiate Church is undergoing a major renovation to expand space for community programs.
Church Warns of Noise as Major Renovation Moves into New Phase
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HUDSON HEIGHTS — Neighbors of Fort Washington Collegiate Church may want to pick up some earplugs. 

The century-old church, located at West 181st Street and Fort Washington Avenue, is currently undergoing extensive renovations that will create more space for public programs and make the building ADA accessible. As the renovation moves into a new phase, crews will be using heavy, jackhammer-like machines in the coming weeks to excavate the property, officials from the church said. 

At the end of the week, construction crews will begin digging at the site in preparation to install an underground rainwater collection system, which is required by New York City law, according to a post on the church’s Facebook page. Because the church is built on thick bedrock, construction crews must use the jackhammer-like machine for the excavation process, causing noise and vibrations.

The excavation process is expected to last for three weeks, the notification said.

The noted added that church leaders would work to limit the impact on the community by making sure the excavation work takes place only between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

A spokeswoman for the church said it is trying to be respectful of neighbors by not beginning work at 7 a.m.., which the Department of Buildings allows, or applying for a special permit to work on the weekends.

Fort Washington Collegiate Church provides space for community groups such as the Boy Scouts and Concerts in the Heights, and hosts several of its own outreach programs including a food pantry and a monthly thrift sale.

The renovation will create more space for community programs, including additional classrooms for youth education, as well as an expanded fellowship hall and enclosed glass pavilion for use by the church and neighborhood organizations. The work will also create a wheelchair-accessible entrance and an elevator for the three floors of the main church building, according to the church’s website.

"We're very excited when the renovated church opens this spring to welcome the community," the spokeswoman said.