Controversial East Village/Lower East Side Historic District Approved by Council

Support and opposition to landmarking reiterated at City Council level. On January 31, 2013, the City Council’s Land Use Committee voted to approve the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s designation of the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District in Manhattan. The district includes approximately 325 buildings, and is composed of two distinct sections on each side of First Avenue. On October 9, 2012, Landmarks approved the designation after modifying the boundaries of the proposal initially presented to … <Read More>


Alterations to the Former Gage & Tollner Restaurant Denied Legalization

The interior landmark, which had been converted to a fast-food chain with Landmarks’ oversight, was illegally converted to a retail store. On January 22, 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered and denied an application for the legalization of work already done to the former Gage & Tollner Restaurant, at 372 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The interior landmark occupies the Gage & Tollner building, also an individual City landmark. The interior is significant … <Read More>


Opposition and Support Voiced for Proposed Bed-Stuy Historic District

Potential district is characterized by late 19th-century masonry residential structures. The Landmarks Preservation Commission held a well-attended hearing on the potential designation of the Bedford Historic District in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant community on January 15, 2013. The proposed district would be comprised of approximately 800 buildings, roughly bounded by Bedford and Tompkins Avenues from west to east, and Monroe and Fulton Streets from north to south. The area was mostly developed during the period between 1870 … <Read More>


Public Hearing Held on Potential Harrison Street Historic District

Local residents and landmark activists testified for and against designation for a block-long, 19th-century residential enclave. On January 15, 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing on the potential designation of the Harrison Street Historic District in Stapleton, Staten Island. The district primarily lies along Harrison Street, between Quinn and Brownell Streets, and also includes the corner of Brownell and Tompkins Streets.

The proposed district encompasses 43 one and two-family residential properties and … <Read More>


Rainbow Room Renovation & Restoration Approved by Landmarks Commission

Approved plans would retain and restore remaining original elements of interior landmark, while replacing the dance floor and altering the wall, floor, and ceiling surfaces. The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve a renovation plan for the Rainbow Room on January 8, 2013. The interior landmark, on the 65th floor of Rockefeller Plaza, was designated by Landmarks on October 13, 2012 and approved by the City Council on December 18, 2012.

The Rainbow Room, … <Read More>


Durst Development at West 57th Street Gets One Step Closer to Full Approval

New development plan promises period of residential affordability, lively streetscape, and small public space in Manhattan. On December 19, 2012, the City Planning Commission approved Durst Development LLC’s mixed-use development project at 625 West 57th Street. A unique, pyramid-shaped, 35-story building between West 57th and 58th Streets will be the centerpiece of the project. The building will contain 753 rental units including 151 affordable units, ground floor retail space, and a 285-space accessory … <Read More>