Developer brings 'miracle' to East Side church.

East Side Tabernacle parishioners had much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, after developer Charles Blaichman agreed to step in and rebuild their church.

Blaichman purchased the air rights above the condemned church at 254 Second Street and plans to build a $10.5 million, nine-story condominium project and a new church on the first and basement floors.

"If you ask me it's a miracle," said Pastor Abner Rosairo. "That's how we perceive it. God performed a miracle."

East Side Tabernacle's former church was demolished last year. The roof leaked, the heating rarely worked and the structural damage was beyond repair.

"Our church congregation is not affluent," Rosario said of his 200 parishioners. "A lot of our people are single mothers, working class people."

In late 2001, East Side Tabernacle's mother church, The Brooklyn Tabernacle, asked church attorney Dennis Konner for his help.

Konner in turn contacted Blaichman, who had been involved in similar projects, and in December 2002 the church's pr-ayers were answered. By the end of this month, Blaichman, who retains air rights to everything above 34 feet, will begin building the 45-apartment building with the church underneath.

The project will be completed in 16 months. "To be able to help the community and do business at the same time, intrigued me," Blaichman said. "The church was in danger of falling down. It's a win-win situation and it's great to see people benefit from this project."

In 2002, the old structure was demolished and some interesting facts were unearthed about the building that once was a catering hall and later became a club called 'The World.'

"The club attracted drug addicts. It was a shooting gallery," Rosairo said. "When we came along it became a church and the original foundation said it was a church."

Eric Lugo, the church caretaker, did some digging of his own at the public library.

"It's really got quite a history," Lugo said. "It was once a Baptist church. My mother went to a wedding here. To see the progress of this project is exciting. It is a blessing to have a place to worship."

Last week, more than 50 church members gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony at the site that soon house their new church and thanked God and all involved in the church's resurrection.

Pastor Rosario gave the invocation. "This is truly a day of rejoicing," he said.

Konner and The Brooklyn Tabernacle's facilities director, Diane Rathjen, were instrumental in making the project possible, Rosairo said.

If Blaichman had not stepped into help, the church property would have been lost. "We would have sold the building or property outright," Rathjen said. "Now, basically, we have a turnkey church."

The East Side Tabernacle currently worships in temporary quarters. They expect to be able to move into their new church early 2005.

"This is a wonderful way to pay tribute to your many important contributions to the Big Apple, and to honor the important role that both municipal and national engineers, artisans, and craftsman have played throughout out history," said Robert Tierney, chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission who read Bloomberg's letter.

A replica of the General Society's 1785 flag was also unveiled at the event.

Perhaps one its greatest contributions is to the education of more than 150,000 tradesman and artisans throughout its history.

In 1820, the General Society opened one of the City's first free public schools as well as the first circulating library for apprentices, both of which predate City public systems.

In addition in 1821, the General Society began offering classes to women and established a course of free lectures in 1833.

Today its tuition-free class offerings including blueprint reading, drafting and cost estimating educates hundreds of construction tradesmen and women every year.

President Valentino, also a former student, credits the school with advancing his career.

"It was a significant event that changed my career," Valentino said. "In trades there is a glass ceiling, unless you get further training."

The school is well respected in the construction industry for helping those with a high school education move up the ranks.

"The school enables trades people to transition into areas that normally would have been closed to them," Valentino said. "You could be a foreman, but to become a supervisor or project manager is a different story. There is no training for management here for people in the trades."

To help the school continue its contribution to the building trades, the General Society is searching for former alumni and members.

"We would like to know who these people are and celebrate their contributions to the industry and the city of New York," said Claire Dezotell, the General Society's director of development.

The General Society is hoping former students will be involved in the future of the organization, but realize they may be scattered all over the world.

"We are going through a renaissance if you will, we are reaching out to the community to show them what we are doing," Valentino said. "It may take an effort to get the ball roiling."

Former students and members are encouraged to contact the General Society. For further information contact Dezotell at 212-302-8078 or [e-mail] or visit www. generalsociety.org.