St. Thomas the Apostle Update

As reported in last month’s E-Bulletin, the Archdiocese of New York closed St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Harlem in August 2003 and was considering demolishing the building in order to construct low-income elder residences using funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Since St. Thomas was determined by the NY State Historic Preservation Office to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, a review of the project under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act was triggered. In mid-September, a representative of the Archdiocese announced that they would not be seeking federal funding for the project, due – in part – to information required of them under the Section 106 review. There is hope, however. At a public hearing on September 21 at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the LPC considered two other churches in Harlem, St. Aloysius and All Saints for designation as individual landmarks. Dozens of speakers, including Congressman Charles Rangel and City Councilmember William Perkins, spoke in favor of the designations and made impassioned pleas for the consideration of St. Thomas as well. Click here to read HDC’s testimony. After the hearing, LPC Chair Robert Tierney commented to The New York Times, "I was persuaded by the testimony, and am seriously considering asking the commission to calendar [St. Thomas] shortly in order to have more time in which to formally discuss the situation with the archdiocese."

HDC and Landmarks Conservancy Pair to Survey Catholic Churches

In the face of the recent or pending closure of several Catholic churches in Manhattan, HDC is assisting the Sacred Sites Program of the New York Landmarks Conservancy with its survey of all of the Catholic churches within the five boroughs. The New York Archdiocese has made it clear that more closures are imminent but, to date, has not provided a list of affected church structures or a timetable for their closing. We fear that the diocese will choose to demolish most, if not all, of these buildings once they are closed to allow for the redevelopment of the properties.
The survey will provide the preservation community with important information to help advocate for the continued use or appropriate reuse of these buildings, most of which are important elements of our shared cultural heritage. HDC is currently finishing its survey of all of Lower Manhattan’s churches below 14th Street. Our surveyors are collecting basic information about the physical condition of each church and its related structures, and also photographing each building, inside and out. This field information will be studied in conjunction with existing historic research and assessments of the architectural significance of each building, to develop a list of “priority” churches. This list will help guide the preservation community’s effort to be more proactive regarding possible future closures. Working with parishioners and community activists, we hope to convince church officials that demolition is not the only answer when parishes are closed. We will also work with the diocese, local politicians, and city agencies to find appropriate new uses, and possible funding sources, for redevelopment plans that will preserve these buildings’ important place in our communities.

We can use your help on this. Because the diocese is providing so little information about its plans, we are relying on information from the grapevine. If you hear anything about plans for your parish church or any Catholic church within the five boroughs, please call Sybil Young at (212) 614-9107. Though current events force us to focus on Catholic church closings, this problem is faced by many denominations - please also let us know if you have information about possible closures or significant changes being planned for any religious property, regardless of denomination or faith. Finally, if you would like to participate in a future phase of the citywide survey, please let us know.

38 Water Street Update

On September 21, the City Council Zoning Subcommittee heard testimony regarding the rezoning of 38-54 Water Street in DUMBO, which would allow Two Trees Management to build a 17-story building close to the Brooklyn Bridge. HDC joined community members and neighborhood groups in providing vigorous testimony against this rezoning, which would set a very bad precedent for future development in this predominantly low-rise industrial neighborhood, as well as disrupting the views from the Brooklyn Bridge that are among the most exciting that the world has to offer. Zoning Subcommittee Chair Tony Avella and Brooklyn Heights Councilmember David Yassky, who represents DUMBO, expressed concerns about the proposal, especially it impact on the views from the bridge. The proposal has been subsequently modified and will be presented later this week to the City Council. As of this writing, HDC does not know whether the new proposal has been scaled back enough to address our concerns. There’s still time to contact Council Members Avella, Yassky and Speaker Gifford Miller and urge them to preserve the historic Brooklyn waterfront.

Autumn Preservation Events

The following is a partial listing of preservation related events in the city this fall:

"community + architects = change"
The Role of Community Design Centers- past, present and future
The first in a series of forums on the history of community based planning, development and social change -- produced by Pratt Institute Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004
2:00 to 5:00 PM: Forum
5:00 to 5:45 PM: Reception and Cash Bar
Preview of “Postcards from the Field”-- the Work of the Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellows
Exhibition on view from October 13 – October 30, 2004

Center for Architecture
536 LaGuardia Place
New York, New York
RSVP to: ronyvette@mac.com

The Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America 2004 Fall Conference
“Of Our Time: Changing Attitudes in Historic Preservation”
Saturday October 16, 2004 9:00am- 5:30 pm
The New York School of Interior Design
170 East 70th Street
New York, New York
Go to www.classicist.org for more information

Open House New York Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, October 9 and 10, 2004
During this celebration of New York City’s architecture approximately 100 sites throughout the five boroughs will be open to the public, free of charge. Check the OHNY website http://www.ohny.org/, or call the hotline at (917) 583-2398 for maps and information.

Landmarks Lion Awards Ceremony

T his year HDC’s annual award will honor the architecture and planning firm of Beyer Blinder Belle. The ceremony will be held at the Rubin Museum of Art in Chelsea on November 8th. Dinner tickets begin at $250, contact Alice Rich for more information.

Sunnyside Preservation Panel

Join Sunnyside Gardens Preservation Alliance and HDC for “Before and After Landmarks Designation: Real Stories from Neighbors” on Monday, October 18th. Neighborhood advocates from Jackson Heights and Douglaston in Queens and St. George in Staten Island will discuss how gaining historic district status has affected their neighborhoods. They will also answer any audience questions on landmarking. The discussion will be moderated by HDC’s own Simeon Bankoff and is free of charge. The panel will be held at the Sunnyside Community Services Senior Center from 7:00 to 8:30pm. To reach the Center by subway, take the 7 train to 40th Street and Lowery Street and walk west on Queens Boulevard for 2 blocks, the building is at 43-31 39th Street.

Volunteer Opportunities at HDC

HDC is currently seeking volunteers to help with mailings, database work for our Digital Image Library and during our Preservation Conference in March. If you are interested, email your resume to Alice Rich or fax it to our office at 212-614-9127.

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The Advocate for New York City’s Historic Neighborhoods
232 East 11th Street New York NY 10003
tel: 212-614-9107 fax: 212-614-9127 email: hd@hdc.org