By God's Grace Church On Main Street Told By Landlord To Leave By August - Reverend Audrey E. Giles Appeals For Help

By God’s Grace Church at 203 Main Street, next to Zora Dora’s, has been told by their landlord to leave by August 2025. This marks one of the last properties originally held by the Piccones to be vacated by these owners.

In what is one of the last properties in the row of commercial units of 201-211 Main Street, By God’s Grace Ministries at 203 Main Street has been told by their landlord that they need to be out by August 2025, its Reverend Audrey E. Giles said to Beacon’s City Council on 4/21/2025, when she appealed to them to help her find a new home for the Pentecostal church.

“I've been a pastor here in Beacon for 28 years. We're at the place now where we are…you know…they're…they don't, you know, want…they want us out. They don't want church there.” After 28 years, it was hard for Reverend Audrey to say the words.

“So I came...I don't know if you can help. I just came to see and maybe this City...if the City had property or a building or whatever that we may can go into and pay rent or whatever. That's what I'm here for. I don't even know if you can help me, but that's why I came tonight to see if anything could be done because we have to be out of where we are now in 203 Main Street in August. Thank you.”

The Rent Increase

Reverend Audrey told A Little Beacon Blog that they currently pay $1,400/month in rent, up from $300/month when they started there under the ownership of the Piccone family. “Beacon was a ghost town then,” Audrey told ALBB. The Piccone’s sold 20 parcels to Joe Donovan, who later sold some parcels to the current owners who are related to the Brother’s Trattoria family of owners but not the ones of the restaurant.

The current owners told Audrey that they are asking $5,000 for the church space and have an interested tenant. “Beacon is very, very expensive,” Audrey told ALBB. “It is what it is. We have been here 28 years. That's why I came to the Council. I have been calling them. We just want to have church. We can't wait to no last minute. We are trying hard to find other places.”

Reverend Audrey said that they use the space “on Sundays, and maybe 1 or 2 days during the week. It's crazy. You know, our - the guy that was before this guy - he gave us a 3 year lease. We had to be out by August.”

All of the residential tenants have been pushed out of that block. Miss Vickie was a tenant (she now works sound and sidewalk sweeps at Towne Crier). “All of the tenants were moved out,” Reverend Audrey told ALBB. “One guy refused to go. I don't know how they got that guy out of there. He refused to go. I think to myself, ‘Why wouldn't you want us? I asked the landlord to take me back there to the apartments. ‘Let me see one apartment,’ I said. When I saw it, I said ‘What is in here that is worthy of $2,800? ’”

Reverend Audrey has been looking, but what she saw is too small or too expensive. “I don't want to get to a place where they are evicting us,” she told ALBB. She was surprised to learn that the Dutchess Reformed Church had sold to new owners who have entertainment plans for it which include a restaurant.

Ironically, The Star of Bethlehem Church on Main Street sold their property next to Bank Square to another entertainment-based owner, and tried to move to the Dutchess Reformed Church, but lost their bid to those new owners who have entertainment plans. Instead, the Star of Bethlehem Church moved into the old Mary Kelly restaurant building across I-84 near the Hudson View apartments. There was a campaign to keep that church in its building, but the church ended up selling. In the end, Joe Donnovan’s company Hudson Todd LLC bought the Star of Bethlehem’s building for $1.25 million. His company owns almost all of the properties on the far west end of town.

The Backstory On The Neighboring Storefronts

Fire destroyed Mr. Bell’s Unisex Main Street Beauty Salon and Amy’s African Braids close to when the current owners were closing on the deal with then owner Joe Donovan, forcing Mr. Bell into retirement. Months later, John the Cobbler was also forced to move out by the new owner, whose “Three Day Notice To Cancel Lease” notification was taped to the boarded up storefront, signed by Lendita Mavraj, identifying as the Manager.

After that, John the Cobbler was absorbed into a Donovan property at 152 Main Street in the apartment complex behind Mountain Tops. A hair salon replaced Mr. Bell’s, but left and was relaced by B Hair Studio. Big Vinny’s Pizza left, and Moreish left the Hudson Valley Food Hall to renovate the old Vinny’s spot, which is opening soon.

If anyone would like to reach out to Reverend Audrey E. Giles, ALBB can connect you. City Administrator Chris White passed her a note after the City Council Meeting, saying he could share one idea.