9/11 victims’ families sought to preserve North Tower’s footprint. Family members of victims of the World Trade Center attack formed a coalition to represent and express their views on the plans for a memorial at the site. In January 2004 the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation selected a memorial design, which included the preservation of some portions of the North Tower’s slab floor, most commonly referred to as “the footprint.” In March 2004, after the site was designated eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, the LMDC entered into a programmatic agreement that set forth the project’s historic preservation requirements subject to consultation. The agreement, which was distributed to the Coalition, stated that the slab floor was not one of the historic elements the LMDC would try to preserve. Finally, in June 2004, the LMDC issued a decision, which stated that it had complied with the review requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act.

On March 11, 2006, the Coalition filed an article 78 petition, claiming that the LMDC had failed to fulfill the consultation and mitigation requirements relating to the plans’ impact on the slab floor in the Public Buildings Law and Parks, Recreation, Conservation and Historic Preservation Law. They further claimed that the slab floor was sacred ground; it should be preserved in its entirety and should be visible without obstruction. (more…)

82-year-old Yankee Stadium and nearby public parks to be replaced by new stadium, park space and public parking. On April 5, 2006, City Council approved 11 Parks applications related to development of a new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, including disposition of three parcels of land to the Economic Development Corporation.

The new stadium site on East 161st Street is immediately north of Yankee Stadium’s current site. The proposal included 15.82 acres of new public park space and four new parking garages. The plan required map amendments to designate new parkland and eliminate portions of surrounding streets, as well as an action by the State legislature to eliminate 162nd Street. The plan also required two special permits for parking garages, a concession for new tennis facilities, and City acquisition of a leasehold interest in the new stadium to facilitate the financing of the project. The Yankees will fund the entire cost of the new stadium, spending over $800 million, while the City and State will provide $160 million and $70 million respectively on nearby infrastructure and additional improvements. (more…)

Work will give Rumsey Summer Stage Support Building a new roof, windows and interior. Landmarks issued a binding report approving the design for roof and window replacements to improve the Rumsey Summer Stage Support Building in Central Park, a scenic landmark. The work will improve the building’s appearance and help protect it from further disrepair.

The one-story building was constructed in 1936-1937 in the Rumsey Playfield, located near the East Drive and 72nd Street. Originally used as a comfort station and facilities building, it is now used for storage after it was damaged by a fire. In its application, the Parks Department proposed to repair damaged roof tiles, raise the facade height with matching brickwork, install new doors and windows, and construct an addition on the northern side. Landmarks issued a separate permit to allow cleaning and repair of the exterior and to alter the interior. (more…)

Commission decides that Brooklyn Bridge sightline merits destruction of a building within a historic district. Landmarks held a hearing on February 21, 2006 on an application to demolish the Purchase Building, located at 11-85 Water Street in Brooklyn’s Fulton Ferry Historic District. The applicant, Brooklyn Bridge Development Corporation, was created to manage the development of Brooklyn Bridge Park, a new 85-acre park expanding from DUMBO to Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. The Purchase Building, a 300-foot-long Art Deco warehouse built as a WPA project in 1936, divides the park site and blocks views of the Brooklyn Bridge.

At the hearing, a representative from the Brooklyn Bridge Development Corporation testified that Brooklyn Bridge Park would be the most significant park project for the City since construction of Prospect Park in 1860-1868. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe urged Landmarks to approve demolition despite the fact that, according to him, Parks “usually appeared before Landmarks to urge preservation and restoration.” A representative from the State Historic Preservation Office also testified in favor of the project, arguing that the warehouse was out of context and non-contributing to the Fulton Ferry Historic District. Other demolition supporters felt it was important to reconnect surrounding neighborhoods to the Brooklyn Bridge and the shoreline, and stressed the area’s current state of industrial underutilization. (more…)

Site for the Flight 587 Memorial Park to be located 15 blocks from crash site. The Department of Transportation and Department of Parks and Recreation applied for a map amendment to establish a Memorial Park honoring the 265 victims who died when flight 587 crashed in Rockaway in November 2001. The site consists of .16 acres between Beach 116th Street’s southern turnaround and Ocean Promenade.

The map amendment would eliminate portions of Beach 116th Street by relocating the street’s turnaround immediately north of the proposed site. The proposal would also eliminate portions of Ocean Promenade, just south of the turnaround and north of Rockaway Beach. Other amendments would establish the Memorial Park, adjust the grade, and permit acquiring or disposing of any necessary property. There was no opposition at the Planning Commission hearings in January 2006 and the Commission adopted the resolution on February 8, 2006. (more…)