
Somers Brothers Tinware Factory Building Image Credit: Landmarks
Gowanus community wants Landmarks to continue designating sites before rezoning. On September 24, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing to designate five buildings in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn as individual landmarks. The five proposed buildings are the Gowanus Flushing Tunnel Pumping Station and Gate House, the Somers Brothers Tinware Factory (later American Can Company), Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) Central Power Station Engine House, Montauk Paint Manufacturing Company Building and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Rogers Memorial Building. All of the buildings hold a connection to the Gowanus Canal’s industrial history. To read Cityland’s prior coverage of each building, click here.
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South Side of Bay Ridge Parkway in Brooklyn. Image Credit: LPC.
Due to its high degree of integrity, the block still looks much like it did 100 years ago and still houses medical professionals. On May 14, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on the proposed designation of “Bay Ridge Parkway – Doctor’s Row Historic District” in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The proposed historic district would be Bay Ridge’s first, comprised of 54 century-old rowhouses located on the same block of Bay Street, between 4thand 5thAvenues. The limestone rowhouses, built in the Renaissance and Colonial Revival styles, are significant for their architectural integrity and aesthetic consistency. The block earned its name for the number of medical professionals living and working there, both currently and in the past. (more…)

Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh
Bank’s construction quickly followed opening of Williamsburg Bridge; grand Classical facade composed of limestone and granite communicated stability and civic pride. Landmarks held a hearing on the potential designation of the Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh on February 6, 2018. The bank stands at 209 Havemeyer Street in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. The building was constructed in 1908 and designed by the firm of Helmle and Huberty. A 1925 addition continued the original design, and more than doubled the bank’s footprint. (more…)

ASPCA Brooklyn Office, Shelter and Garage Image Credit: Landmarks
The five buildings highlight Gowanus’ industrial past. On October 29, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Committee unanimously voted to designate five buildings near the Gowanus Canal as individual landmarks. The five designated buildings are the Gowanus Flushing Tunnel Pumping Station and Gate House at 196 Butler Street, the Somers Brothers Tinware Factory (later American Can Company) at 238-246 3rd Street, Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) Central Power Station Engine House at 153 2nd Street, Montauk Paint Manufacturing Company Building at 170 2nd Avenue and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Brooklyn Office, Shelter and Garage at 233 Butler Street.
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Update Front Rendering of 27 Cranberry Street Image Credit: Landmarks
Formerly approved design seeks re-approval with modifications. On October 8, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Commission heard an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness, to construct a new three-story, single-family residential building on a vacant lot located at 27 Cranberry Street in Brooklyn. The lot is located on the north side of Cranberry Street, on the middle of the block between Willow Street and Hicks Street. The block consists of primarily three and four-story rowhouses. Directly to the left of the site is a two-story, 200 year old, wooden home. To the right is another three-story rowhouse. The lot is located right in the middle of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District.
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