Church Leaders Put Landmark for Sale

NEWARK, NJ-Leaders of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church have put their existing building and two-acre site on the market for sale. The building, at 555 Martin Luther King Blvd., is thought to be the oldest church of its faith in New Jersey.

Church officials have hired Stan Kurzweil, senior vice president of Colliers Houston & Co., Somerset, NJ, and George Paras of Paras & Paras, Summit, NJ, to market the property. According to Kurzweil, church officials would ideally prefer that the facility be sold to another church group, although another appropriate use, such as educational or cultural, would be considered.

The church’s roots go back to 1901 when the original building was built on Academy St. here at a cost of $9,000. The present church dates back to 1924, but church officials have decided to relocate to a new site in Roseland, NJ “because the parishioner base now resides in more westerly sections of New Jersey,” says Paras, who himself is associated with the church. “The new location would facilitate travel for mass and other church activities, especially in the winter months.” The current church is located near downtown Newark, close to the federal courthouse, Rutgers University’s Newark campus and Essex Community College.