Jeffrey A. Kroessler, City Club of New York
The Castle on the Concourse is doomed. Had any other owner of a designated landmark abandoned his property to the elements like this, the Landmarks Preservation Commission would have sued him for “demolition by neglect.” But here the commission is helpless. The owner is the City of New York, and while the city fully expects owners of designated properties – private homeowners, businesses, landlords, or institutions – to adhere to standards set by the LPC, the city exempts itself from any such regulation. In such cases, the Landmarks Commission is only advisory, its pronouncements mere opinion.
