E-BULLETIN
OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL
February 2008, Volume 5 Number 2
Mark Your Calendars! HDC’s
Annual Preservation Conference, “Preservation 2030,” is Just Around the Corner!
It’s
that time of year again! HDC is proud to announce it’s 14th Annual
Preservation Conference, Preservation 2030.
Using the Mayor’s PlaNYC as
a starting point, the conference will focus on preservation and its relation to
a broad framework of urban issues and how they relate to New York’s many
diverse neighborhoods.
This year's conference will be preceded by a series of Pre-Conference
Lectures, as well as an Opening Night Reception.
The Sunday following the Conference will feature a series of tours of historic
areas throughout New York City. Click here to
register online.
February 28: Pre-Conference Panel:
Preservation, Planning and Aesthetic Regulation in New York City
There
are many areas of New York City that possess unique amenities but do not meet
the criteria defined in the landmarks law for designation. Because of decisions
made during the 1961 revision of the New York City Zoning Resolution, planning
practice here largely does not deal with or regulate the aesthetics of place –
the color, scale or type of building materials, which so affect the visual feel
of a neighborhood. Arguably, the time has come to craft a different model, in
which aesthetic concerns are central to neighborhood planning efforts. What
framework for neighborhood planning can be devised to focus attention on the
built environment as inevitable changes take hold within the public realm?
HDC
is teaming up with Pratt Institute’s Graduate Historic Preservation program to
host a spirited panel discussion of this topic with experts in neighborhood
planning, historic preservation and urban design. The goal is to create a
lively dialogue that raises awareness of this issue and challenges existing
planning models that need updating. As
development continues at a breakneck pace in the city and residents turn their
attention to critical municipal elections next year, this timely discussion
will focus needed attention on the future of our city’s cherished
neighborhoods.
Join
us Thursday, February 28th, 6:30pm, in the Parish Hall at St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery, 131
East 10th Street at 2nd Avenue. This program is free to the public. For reservations,
please call (212) 614-9107 or email kmorith@hdc.org.
March 6: Pre-Conference Panel: A History of
Population Increases in New York City
According
to PlaNYC 2030, New York City’s population is expected to grow by one million
people within the next 25 years. However significant, this is not the first
population boom our city will have endured. From the Colonial era to the
post-World War II expansion in urban areas, New York is no stranger to growing
populations. This lecture will examine how the city was able to accommodate
these sudden influxes of new residents and the lasting effects of the city’s
reactions. Featured guests include noted architectural historian and tour guide
Francis
Morrone and Dr. Jeffrey Kroessler, author of New York, Year by Year.
Join us Thursday,
March 6th, 6:30pm, in the Parish Hall at St. Marks Church
in-the-Bowery, 131 East 10th Street at 2nd Avenue. This program is free to
the public. For reservations, please call (212) 614-9107 or email kmorith@hdc.org.
March 7: Opening Night
Reception
Join
us for a cocktail reception in the rotunda of recently-restored Federal Hall,
the renowned site in Lower Manhattan where George Washington
took the oath of
office as the first president of the United States. The original 18th
century edifice was the location of New York City’s first City Hall and later
functioned as the first federal Capitol
Building; it was demolished in 1812. The current structure, erected in
1842 as the first federal Custom House, was designed by Town & Davis and
remains one of New York City’s most striking institutional examples of the Greek Revival architectural
style. It is located within the newly-listed Wall Street National Register
Historic District and today functions as a national monument commemorating its
noteworthy predecessor.
Friday, March 7,
6:00pm, at Federal Hall, 26
Wall Street at Broad Street. Reservations are required for this event.
Please call (212) 614-9107 or visit our Web site.
March 8: “Preservation
2030” Conference Panels
This year’s Conference Panels will bring
together a distinguished group of
preservationists, planners, artists, architects, educators and developers from
New York City’s five boroughs and beyond will to present their views in a
series of three panel
discussions: “Surviving the
Building Boom: Urban Neighborhoods of the Future,” “Building It Out: Suburban
Neighborhoods of the Future” and “Tools of the Trade: Preservation Practices
for the Next Generation” Rohit Aggarwala, director of the Mayor’s
Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, will provide the keynote
address, which will be followed by a response panel featuring several
preservation experts.
Saturday, March 8,
8:30am-6:15pm, in the Swayduck Auditorium at The
New School, 65
Fifth Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. For reservations, please call
(212) 614-9107 or visit our Web
site.
March 9: Walking Tours
The
final day of HDC’s Preservation Conference features six walking tours of neighborhoods
throughout New York City, including:
v Is there a Future for Old Flushing? Flushing, Queens
v From Hill to Eternity: Richmond
Hill, Queens
v Greenpoint and Williamsburg: After the Plan
v Not Exactly Your Grandma’s Lower East Side
v Connecting the City: The
High Bridge
v The Wild Wild West Side: Manhattan
Along the Hudson
Sunday, March 9. Space
if limited, so reserve early. Meeting times and locations will be provided upon
registration. For reservations, please visit our Web site or
call (212) 614-9107.
For regularly updated event listings, check
out http://hdcvoice.blogspot.com/
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Opposition
to the Proposed AIA Zoning Text Amendments
The
New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently
proposed a series of zoning text amendments that seek to undo years of efforts
to make city neighborhoods contextually zoned based on community input. In
addition to encouraging out-of-context development, these
one-size-fits-all, blanket zoning measures do not fit the rich variety of New
York City’s neighborhoods. The Historic Districts Council is opposed to the
adoption of these amendments. Click
here to read HDC’s official statement.
Be
sure to voice your concern by contacting your local Community
Board, Council
Member, and the Department
of City Planning.
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Save
St. Savior’s! Historic Maspeth, Queens, Church Faces Immediate Demo
On January 22, 2008, notice was posted that
Always Fast expediting firm will be obtaining demolition permits for St. Savior’s Church in
Maspeth, Queens. A distinctive local icon, St. Savior’s has been under threat
of demolition since being sold to Maspeth Development in 2006. Despite
sustained public outcry and seemingly obvious merit, the 1847 church never
received a Public Hearing before the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
The time has come for the City to act to save this
important landmark before it is torn down and lost forever. Send an E-mail to LPC Chairman
Tierney to demand that the Commission hold a public hearing for this
historic structure. To read HDC’s entire statement, click
here.
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Updates
at the Landmarks Commission
From underground swimming pools to leaning
towers, there’s been a lot of excitement at the LPC recently. Be sure to read
HDC’s roundup
of recent activities down at the 9th floor of One Centre Street.
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Monday
Morning Coffee Talks
As part of our Neighborhood Partners Program, HDC is
pleased to announce our new Monday
Morning Coffee Talks, a free monthly discussion series that examines
some of the most common questions asked by community preservationists. Join us
on the first Monday of every month as we sit down with professional
practitioners and community activists to discuss the tactics, techniques and
strategies for preserving our historic buildings and neighborhoods. Bring your
questions and prepare to engage in this informal setting with some of the
city’s most respected preservation advocates. And of course, coffee will be
served.
Be sure to reserve your space now for our
March event on the preservation of historic religious properties, featuring Ann-Isabel
Friedman, director of the Sacred
Sites program at the New York Landmarks Conservancy. The event will be at
8:30am on Monday, March 3rd at the Neighborhood Preservation
Center. Call (212) 614-9107 or email lbelfer@hdc.org
to register, or for more information about the Coffee Talks and the
Neighborhood Partners.
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HDC’s
Simeon Bankoff in the New Yorker!
HDC’s Executive Director Simeon Bankoff was featured in the
January 7th issue of the New Yorker magazine. Burkhard Bilger’s piece, “Mystery
on Pearl Street,” examines the mystery surrounding a Greek Revival structure at
211 Pearl and one man’s efforts to save it from demolition. Click here to read Simeon’s quote
and to read the full article.
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Have
You Checked Out HDC’s Blog Lately?
Reading our blog is the best way to stay
up-to-date on the latest goings-on within the preservation community, from upcoming
events to current
campaigns and petitions to ongoing
surveys in your neighborhood. Be sure
to visit it regularly!