But the entry of Mr. Ruffalo and a number of celebrities — the actor Wendell Pierce, the comedian Amy Schumer, the rapper Common and more — into the fight over the church, more than two decades after it first began, has added an unusual twist to a common city conflict.
Mr. Ruffalo even cornered Mayor Eric Adams at the Tribeca Film Festival this month to plead his case.
All sides agree about the storied history of the church and its architectural significance.
But around the same time, the church became a flashpoint in the city’s real estate battles.
As early as the 1980s, West Park fought against preservationist regulations that would limit how it could use its property, arguing that it should be excluded from a historic district in the neighborhood.
Persons:
Ruffalo, Wendell Pierce, Amy Schumer, Eric Adams, Maria Torres, Leaf
Organizations:
Tribeca, City, Springer, West Park
Locations:
New York, West