Fate of collapsed 94-year-old church in Parramore still in question

The fate of an Orlando church whose roof collapsed last week is still in question.

City officials are set to decide next month whether Black Bottom Church of Prayer in Parramore deserves a spot on the city’s historical registry.

The night before the 94-year-old building’s roof collapsed, the Orlando Historic Preservation Advisory Board voted to approved the designation, but the city council gets the final say.

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The church was deemed unsafe by inspectors last week because of its collapsing roof. Demolition of the church began shortly after, but was halted thanks to efforts by the church’s pastor Dana Jackson and City Commissioner Regina Hill.

"There are a lot of moving parts. I’m not frustrated, I’m at peace. One, because my commissioner is fighting for me," Jackson said.

Jackson said she hopes the community will come together to help save the church, once it’s deemed fit for preservation.

"We are going to need to raise capital to be able to pay to remove the debris and to preserve the face. It’s my understanding that the face can be preserved and so history can be preserved," Jackson said.

The collapse of the church’s roof did more than evict its congregation. Lorenzo Dublin was inside his apartment, which is connected to the church, when the roof fell in.

“I heard the boom,” he said.

He’s now staying in a shelter until he can find somewhere permanent to live.

Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for updates.

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