Bed-Stuy/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights Historic District Designated, Capping Decades-Long Process

Landmarks staff recommended removal of two properties from the district, but Commission voted to designate the district as proposed. On April 16, 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Bedford Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights Historic District in Brooklyn. The district is generally bounded by Halsey and Macon Streets to the north, Fulton Street to the South, Malcolm X Boulevard to the east, and Tompkins Avenue to the west. The new district surrounds the 1971-designated … <Read More>


Preservationists Focused on United Priorities for the Next Administration

HDC LRGHistoric Districts Council’s annual preservation conference celebrated City history, identified priorities, and looked forward to new battles and a new administration. The Historic Districts Council hosted its 19th Annual Preservation Conference over three days from March 1 to 3, 2013. The conference featured receptions, guest speakers, panel discussions, and walking tours. The American Institute of Architects also provided continuing education credits. New York Law School hosted the conference on Saturday, March 2nd. Participants from various … <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>


Landmarks Request Proposal Revisions for Firehouse to Cultural Center Conversion

Commissioners suggested retaining former firehouse’s garage door and rethinking mural sizes for planned cultural center. On November 13, 2012, Landmarks considered a proposal by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), to make modifications to the individually landmarked Fire Hook and Ladder Company No. 14 at 120 East 125th Street in Harlem. The Romanesque Revival firehouse, designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons and completed in 1889, was designated in 1997.  The firehouse was closed … <Read More>


Bedford-Stuyvesant North Rezoning Approved By Council’s Land Use Committee

140-block rezoning proposal included new commercial zoning district tailored for blocks with elevated rail lines. On October 4, 2012, the City Council’s Land Use Committee approved the Department of City Planning’s Bedford-Stuyvesant North Rezoning Plan. The contextual rezoning plan would impact a 140-block area generally bounded by Flushing Avenue to the north, Quincy Street to the south, Broadway to the east, and Classon Avenue to the west. The proposal also includes new regulations regarding … <Read More>


Landmarks’ John Weiss on Combating Demolition-by-Neglect

John Weiss has served as deputy counsel for the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission since 2001. Weiss leads Landmarks’ efforts to protect landmarked structures from demolition-by-neglect, and each of his cases reveals a fascinating tale of New York City real estate.

After earning his undergraduate degree in political science and public policy from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, Weiss was torn between studying law or architecture. He took time off while at Hampshire to … <Read More>