http://www.planNYC.org/ PlanNYC | New York City Planning Information Portal en-us ja3n@earthlink.net http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4568 A landmarked building in the Bronx will be renovated into housing and commercial space. The red brick building located at 614 Cortland Avenue was originally built as a house with a saloon and meeting space in the 1800s and was granted landmark status in 1987. Now, the nonprofit Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City is in the process of transforming this historical property into three apartments and ground floor commercial space so it can be sold to a private buyer. Grants issued by the Landmarks Preservation Commission will help fund the renovation and the price tag of the finished building is expected to be roughly $800,000. 2008-08-26 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4522 City Councilmember Anthony Como informed Robert Tierney, Chairman of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), that he would like to see the creation of historic districts in Richmond Hill and Ridgewood in addition to landmarking the Forest Park Carousel located in Woodhaven. According to a spokeswoman of the LPC, the meeting was “constructive” and LPC would look into his recommendations. Local supporters of these proposed designations are hopeful that Como will be able to get these sites landmarked. Como was elected a Councilmember through a special election in June, replacing Dennis Gallagher. He is up for reelection in November. 2008-08-04 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4523 Three historic districts in Mott Haven are receiving Community Development Block Grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to renovate the exteriors of historic brownstones. The City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is overseeing the distribution of these grants and the restoration of the houses receiving them. According to the Director of the Historic Grants Program at LPC, the restoration of some of these historic brownstones is having a “ripple” effect, encouraging nearby homeowners to apply for these grants and fix up their homes as well. The renovations in these historic districts are expected to further increase the already rising prices of homes in the area. 2008-08-04 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4492 The Landmarks Preservation Commission is pushing to get thousands of buildings preserved through landmark designation before the end of Mayor Bloomberg’s term. The Bloomberg administration has prioritized landmarks, designating an average of just under 400 buildings per year during the mayor’s two terms. Currently under consideration for designation are over 800 buildings in Prospect Heights, some 40 buildings in Bedford Stuyvesant, and about 100 buildings in Ridgewood, Queens. 2008-07-28 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4477 The Landmarks Preservation Commission is considering 12 blocks in Prospect Heights for designation as an historic district. The area which directly abuts the Atlantic Yards project, is part of historic brownstone Brooklyn. While most seem in general support of the designation, some are saying it may be coming too late to the neighborhood that is already in danger of out-of-scale development due to the precedent set by Atlantic Yards. 2008-07-23 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4479 Residents of the Upper East Side are lobbying the Landmarks Preservation Commission to include 200 additional buildings in the historic district created in 1981. The cornerstone building, the Kean House, was built in 1880 and sits just outside the boundaries of the district. The Landmarks Commission stated that while it is looking into the area, it has not committed to a timeline. 2008-07-23 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4465 Morningside Park has been designated a landmark by the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) because of its unique mixture of natural rock and man-made sculptures. The park, which first opened in 1987, is the city’s 10th scenic landmark. The George Cunningham Store on Staten Island was also designated a landmark and a small area in West Chelsea that houses 30 buildings was designated an historic district, the city’s 92nd overall. 2008-07-17 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4456 A building that previously contained a butcher shop has passed the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to become a protected landmark. The George G. Cunningham store is reminiscent of 19th century architecture. Also approved was the West Chelsea Historic District consisting of 30 late-19th century buildings between 25th and 28th Streets and 10th and 12th Avenues. 2008-07-16 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4451 The Landmarks Preservation Commission this week will consider designating a Prospect Heights Historic District that would cover about 21 blocks in the Brooklyn neighborhood. The designation, if passed, would prevent buildings in the district from being demolished or altered in any way “unfitting with their historic character.” The proposal has significant support in the neighborhood, which borders the Atlantic Yards development site. 2008-07-14 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4447 The Landmarks Preservation Commission is considering designating a portion of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn as a historic landmarks district. The designation, if it goes through, may have some effect on the Atlantic Yards development, despite the fact that none of the mega-development’s footprint would be in the historic district. Opponents of the Atlantic Yards project, see the landmarking as a way to prevent expansion of the development and further “out-of-scale” building. 2008-07-13 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4378 Bronx community groups surrounding the Kingsbridge Armory are looking to initiate a Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) with developer, Related, to ensure some local needs are taken into consideration as the project formulates. While CBA's are not a widely used tool in New York, they are very successful in other states and are becoming more and more popular here as well. Community members would like to reach an agreement with the developer (without the City's involvement) in order to promise a minimum level of standards for jobs and hiring practices as well as the inclusion of much-needed recreational space and social services as well as the opportunity for local small business owners to locate in the development. The City feels that the public review process already addresses these needs and a CBA would not be necessary. 2008-06-25 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4374 Some local residents in Queens are advocating to landmark Woodhaven Lanes, a bowling alley in Glendale. The alley, once the site of a national television game show, closed on May 18 and the building’s lease has been put on the market. Some preservationists believe that Woodhaven’s role in the community and its place in American television history merits it landmarked status. A spokeswoman from the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) said that the agency will look into landmarking this building. 2008-06-23 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4280 Following the recent extensive rezoning and an increase in real estate prices, some preservationists are concerned that historic buildings will be demolished in Jamaica, Queens. The Committee for the Preservation of Jamaica Architecture and History, an ad hoc committee of the Central Queens Historical Association, has complied a list of 25 buildings, of which only two are currently landmarks, that are worthy of preservation. The group is asking that the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) consider these structures for landmark status before they are destroyed by development. 2008-05-28 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4272 Various preservation advocates will convene at City Hall tomorrow to request that the City Council grant an additional $300,000 to the Landmark Preservation Commission’s (LPC) budget. The LPC is one of five agencies whose budget has not yet been finalized by Mayor Bloomberg. The Mayor’s decision to cut the budget by over $1.3 billion means that some agencies will not receive as much money as they had hoped for. The LPC’s budget for fiscal year 2008 is $4.3 million and it is unclear how these cuts will affect the 2009 budget. 2008-05-27 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=123#4224 The Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved the Noho Extension as a new historic district, covering 56 buildings new buildings in the two block span. This district is adjacent to two other historic districts in Noho and includes buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century. 2008-05-13 00:00:00