429 East 64th Street. Image credit: Google Maps.
Building owners claimed landmark status caused financial hardship. Stahl York Avenue Co., LLC, tenement development owner of 429 East 64th Street and 430 East 65th Street in the Upper East Side, sued the City and the Landmark Preservation Commission in January 2016, asking the court to release the property landmark status in order to permit demolition and construct new high-rises for larger profits. Stahl York Avenue sought to demolish the two buildings, which are part of six walk up buildings known as “First Avenue Estate,” after claiming financial hardship. The First Avenue Estate, was designated as a landmark in August 1990 by the Commission. In 2007, the Commission approved and adopted resolution to include Stahl York Avenue’s buildings as part of the landmark status. The tenement developments are “light-court” tenements which are designed so that every room in each apartment has natural light from exterior windows, or interior courtyards, which in turn makes the apartments appear larger. (read more…)
Coney Island Boardwalk. Image credit: LPC.
Iconic 2.7-mile long boardwalk designated for its cultural and historical significance, as little if any original fabric remains. On May 15, 2018, Landmarks voted to designate Brooklyn’s Coney Island Boardwalk a scenic landmark. The Boardwalk was originally opened to the public in 1923, and was extended in subsequent years. Under Robert Moses leadership of the Parks Department in 1938, the Boardwalk was straightened, moved inland, and extended. The Boardwalk’s current length is 2.7 miles. A 100-foot-wide corridor of sand below and adjoining the Boardwalk is included in the designation. (read more…)
Proposed Boerum Hill Historic District Extension. Image Credit: LPC.
Controversy focused on small section of Atlantic Avenue commercial corridor proposed for inclusion in district extension, characterized by 19th-century low-rise buildings. Landmarks held a hearing on the designation of the Boerum Hill Historic District Extension on May 8, 2018. The extension would be composed of three direct sections adjoining the existing Boerum Hill Historic District to the north, south, and west. Approximately 288 buildings are included in the proposed extension, roughly equal in size to the existing 300-property district. (read more…)
Coney Island Boardwalk. Image credit: LPC.
Many speakers asked Landmarks to seek more binding control to ensure the boardwalk’s wood planking is replaced in kind. The Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing on the potential scenic landmark designation of the Coney Island Boardwalk at its meeting on April 17, 2018. The designation would include the boardwalk and all structures on it, including furniture, concession pavilions, comfort stations, and lifeguard stations. A 100-foot-wide corridor of sand below and adjoining the boardwalk would be included in the designation. (read more…)
143 Bergen Street in Brooklyn. Image Credit: CityLaw.
Architect failed to submit plans to Commission for renovation of landmarked building; owner had to remove alterations. In 2008, Lorraine and Edward Gerrity, the owners of a landmarked building located at 143 Bergen St. in Brooklyn, contracted with architects Herbert Ruderman and George Restivo to renovate their home. The architects submitted plans to Buildings and to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which approved the alteration to the landmarked building. The Gerritys then made changes in the plans. Buildings approved the second set of plans with a ten foot extension on all three levels of the building, and an excavation of the backyard. The architects assured the Gerritys that the necessary approvals had been obtained and that they were free to move forward with their construction. (read more…)
Brinckerhoff Cemetery in Fresh Meadows. Credit: LPC
Despite the lack of visible grave markers, Queens cemetery found to contain sufficient historical and archaeological significance to merit designation. On August 14, 2012, Landmarks designated the Brinckerhoff Cemetery at 69-65 182nd Street in the Fresh Meadows section of Queens as an individual City landmark. From 1730 to 1872, the site served as a cemetery for the then-rural community, including the prominent Dutch families who settled the area. A 1919 survey identified 77 gravestones and markers. However, no visible grave markers remain, and the property is overgrown with trees and shrubs.
The City foreclosed on the abandoned site in 1954, and sold the property to Joseph and Elizabeth DeDomenico. The Queens Historical Society and descendants of the Brinckerhoff family sued to reclaim the site in 1999. The DeDomenico family offered to sell the land to the Historical Society, but the group was unable to raise enough money in the time allotted. Linda’s Cai Trading Inc. acquired the property in 2010.
(read more…)
