Hearing approved for Domino Sugar building

Refinery buildings, just north of Williamsburg Bridge, were completed in 1884. On May 22, 2007, Landmarks voted to consider designation of the former Domino Sugar Processing Plant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Under consideration are three connected structures, the Pan House, Finishing House, and Filter House, which is the largest structure in the complex, standing 13 stories above the East River. Landmarks’ action did not include the nearby 1960s building hosting the yellow neon “Domino Sugar” sign.… <Read More>


Landmarks makes third try at Queens designation

Jamaica Savings Bank had been denied landmark status in 1974 and 1992. On May 15, 2007, Landmarks held a public hearing on the Jamaica Savings Bank, an 1898 Beaux-Arts style building prominently located on Jamaica Avenue near 161st Street in Queens. Landmarks designated the building twice in the past, but the Board of Estimate overturned the 1974 vote and the City Council denied Landmarks’ second attempt in 1992. The owner of the building opposed designation … <Read More>


Designation of individual sites opposed by owners

Day of hearings on Staten Island properties proved controversial. On April 10, 2007, Landmarks held hearings on the possible designations of eight properties on Staten Island. While some property owners were positive about possible designation, others adamantly opposed. Owners feared that designation would mean reduced property values and restrictive government control of the use and possible modification of their homes.

Among the properties was 5466 Arthur Kill Road in Tottenville, built for an oysterman in … <Read More>


New hearing after court removed home from district

Mosley shown after renovations. Image: LPC
Mosley show at the time of designation. Image: LPC

Contentious public hearing held on re-inclusion of private home into Queens historic district. Over a year after a court vacated Landmarks’ decision to include 41-45 240th Street into the Douglaston Hill Historic District, Landmarks held a public hearing on its re-inclusion on March 13, 2007.

Landmarks originally included 41-45 240th Street, a private home owned by Kevin and Diana Mosley, … <Read More>


Hearings held on nine Robert Moses projects

Depression-era pools and play centers considered for individual designation. In the 1930s, under the guidance of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, the City built dozens of parks and swimming pools using federal Works Progress Administration funds. In the summer of 1936 alone, the City opened eleven large pool-oriented play centers.

On January 31, 2007, Landmarks heard public testimony on the proposed designation of nine of these WPA play centers, including the Bronx … <Read More>


Designation rejected for Harlem ballroom

Landmarks accepted promise that community group will restore building as part of development plan. On February 13, 2007, Landmarks removed the Harlem Renaissance Ballroom and Casino from its designation calendar to allow a redevelopment plan by its current owner, the Abyssinian Development Corporation, to go forward. Built between 1920 and 1923 as one of Harlem’s first entertainment complexes, the Renaissance now sits in extreme disrepair with trees growing out of its partially caved-in roof. Abyssinian … <Read More>