Editing Watervliet, New York (section)

===St. Patrick's Church controversy===
[[File:Church of St. Patrick (Watervliet, New York) - side view.JPG|thumb|right|St. Patrick Church as it appeared in 2012.]]
In September 2011, the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany]] decided to close St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, citing physical deterioration of the building. The parish was merged with Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, and was unable to afford the estimated $4 million cost to rehabilitate the building.<ref name=crowe/> Built in 1889,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Final-bell-fails-to-save-St-Patrick-s-4393034.php|title=Final bell fails to save St. Patrick's|first=Bob|last=Gardinier|date=March 28, 2013|website=Times Union}}</ref> St. Patrick's Church was the tallest point in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.troyrecord.com/news/cross-bell-removed-from-st-patrick-s-church-in-watervliet/article_67e0e275-6b26-5496-8146-00252c1c9579.html|title=Cross, bell removed from St. Patrick's Church in Watervliet|first=Danielle|last=Sanzone|website=The Record}}</ref> The church was closely modeled on the [[Notre-Dame de l’Immaculee-Conception, Lourdes|Upper Basilica]] in [[Lourdes]], and many Watervliet residents considered it a defining piece and landmark of the city's architecture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/St-Patrick-s-was-our-work-of-art-4529762.php|title=St. Patrick's was 'our work of art'|first=Bob|last=Gardinier|date=May 20, 2013|website=Times Union}}</ref>

In March 2012, a developer filed a proposal to [[zoning|rezone]] the property from residential to business status so that it could raze the church (as well as an attached [[rectory]], former school building, and six private residences) in order to make way for a [[Price Chopper Supermarkets|Price Chopper]] grocery store.<ref name=crowe>{{cite news|last=Crowe|first=Kenneth|title=St. Patrick's public hearing in Watervliet Wednesday|url=http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/St-Patrick-s-public-hearing-in-Watervliet-3593203.php|access-date=May 30, 2012|newspaper=Times Union|date=May 30, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Update: St. Patrick's demolition (pictures and video)|url=http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Update-St-Patrick-s-demolition-4457161.php|publisher=Times Union|access-date=15 January 2018|date=April 23, 2013 }}</ref> Some members of the community responded to the proposal to raze the church with criticism and legal challenges,<ref>{{cite news| last=Churchill| first=Chris| title=A prayer of a chance for St. Patrick's? |url=http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/A-prayer-of-a-chance-for-St-Patrick-s-3518588.php#page-1| access-date=May 30, 2012| newspaper=Times Union| date=April 28, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Morrow |first=Ann |title=Is Nothing Sacred? |url=http://metroland.net/2012/04/26/is-nothing-sacred/ |access-date=May 30, 2012 |newspaper=Metroland |date=April 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522123056/http://metroland.net/2012/04/26/is-nothing-sacred/ |archive-date=May 22, 2012 }}</ref><ref>Sanzone, Danielle (January 14, 2013). [http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2013/01/15/news/doc50f446b301835604608031.txt "Another lawsuit filed to save Watervliet's St. Patrick's Church"]. ''The Record''.</ref><ref>Crowe, Kenneth C. (March 12, 2013) [http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/St-Patrick-s-demolition-fight-heats-up-4344807.php St. Patrick's demolition fight heats up]. Times Union. Retrieved on 2017-02-05.</ref> but on November 20, 2012, the Watervliet City Council voted unanimously to allow the rezoning.<ref>Crowe, Kenneth C. (November 20, 2012) [http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Vote-OKs-razing-of-St-Patrick-s-4055187.php#ixzz2CsW7rTi8 Vote OKs razing of St. Patrick's]. Times Union. Retrieved on 2017-02-05.</ref>  The deconstruction of the church was completed in May 2013,<ref>Crowe, Kenneth C. (May 20, 2013) [http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Last-chapter-shuts-on-St-Patrick-s-4531027.php Last chapter shuts on St. Patrick's]. Times Union. Retrieved on 2017-02-05.</ref> and a new Price Chopper supermarket opened on the site in July 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesunion.com/business/slideshow/New-Price-Chopper-in-Watervliet-89476.php|title=New Price Chopper in Watervliet|date=July 11, 2014|website=Times Union}}</ref>