New historic district will be Brooklyn’s largest. On June 23, 2009, Landmarks voted to designate 21 blocks in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn as a historic district. Developed in the mid and late 19th century, the area is largely characterized by rowhouses spanning a variety of styles, including Italianate, Romanesque, Renaissance Revival, and Second Empire. The eastern portion of the district along Flatbush Avenue includes larger scale, mixed-use structures. At the hearing, community residents expressed support for designation, and spoke of the need for protection from the encroachment of out-of-character development into the area. 5 CityLand 172 (Dec. 15, 2008).

The commissioners enthusiastically endorsed designation. Landmarks’ Brooklyn representative, Libby Ryan, praised the “row after row of beautifully preserved buildings.” Commissioner Roberta Brandes Gratz found the district’s diversity of styles and scales reflective of Brooklyn as a whole, while Commissioner Pablo Vengoechea said it was a “textbook example of what’s good about New York City.” The district will be Brooklyn’s largest historic district.

LPC: Prospect Heights Historic District, Brooklyn (LP-2314) (June 23, 2009).