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E-BULLETIN OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL

December 2008, Volume 5 Number 12

 

HDC Wishes Everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Please Consider Making an End-of-Year Gift to HDC!


Interest in Tin Pan Alley Soars, Buildings’ Fate Is Still Uncertain

 

Ever since last month’s article about Tin Pan Alley broke the news about the threats to these buildings, we’ve been contacted from people across the country wanting to help save these them. “American popular standards are among the most treasured contributions America has made to the world. Tin Pan Alley is the invaluable physical reminder of that contribution. It is the embodiment of an important part of our musical legacy, and it should be saved, ” writes one person. “By saving Tin Pan Alley you are also saving a crucial piece of racial and ethnic immigrant/migrant culture in the U.S. I am a scholar writing a book on African Americans in Tin Pan Alley. Where can my readers go to imagine what once was? And what will they see when they get there? High-rises? Condos? How depressing to leave no trace of this rich history.” , writes another.  And finally; ““Salzburg has Mozart, we have Tin Pan Alley. America's music was defined in these buildings. We're a young country and often throw out our history - The heritage of Tin Pan Alley is something that inspires me daily.”

 

The buildings unfortunately are still potentially under threat; we are unable to confirm whether or not 47-55 West 28th Street are still on the market. HDC is in the process of putting together a verifiable history of the site and has been aided by a wide group of historians, tenants and experts who have been very generous with their knowledge. Did you know that Zero Mostel lived on the block and kept a painting studio there? That an early resident was the family whom “Jones Street” in Greenwich Village was named after (but not “Great Jones Street”)? Visit http://hdc.org/blog/2008/11/14/a-brief-ish-history-of-tin-pan-alley/ for more information and get involved and help us save Tin Pan Alley by signing the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/TPAlley/petition.html

 

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South Street Seaport at LPC

 

At a LPC Public Meeting on November 18, Commissioners did not take a final vote but made comments on the proposal for South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 by the General Growth Properties.  Of the total eleven members of the Commission, three were absent (Commissioners Joan Gerner, Christopher Moore and Roberta Washington) and the remaining eight had varying opinions on the plan.

 

There are three steps in the project to be ruled on by the LPC: 1. the demolition of the Pier 17 mall, 2. the relocation of the Tin Building and 3. the design and construction of new buildings.

 

For the first part, which is needed to make room for the rest of the project, there seemed to be a general, if unspoken, approval.  Chair Robert Tierney, referring to Pier 17, noted “It’s a mess down there”, and Commissioner Diana Chapin voiced her approval of the demolition.  Other commissioners did not directly mention the retention or demolition of the mall, except Commissioner Stephen Byrns.  He talked about a visit the weekend before where he expected to find a failing mall.  Instead, despite bad weather and a bad economy, he was surprised to see an active, lively place.  Commissioner Byrns also commented that the building was appropriate for the district and cautioned against jumping to demolish it without more thought.

 

On the matter of relocating the Tin Building, there was more hesitation, even opposition.  Commissioner Pablo Vengochea questioned if there had been enough exploration of maintaining the Tin Building at its original location as it is the “connecting tissue” between the pier and the rest of the historic district.  Commissioner Margery Pearlmutter also thought that other options to modify or open up the Tin Building should be explored.  Commissioner Roberta Gratz called relocating a landmark a last resort noting, as did Commissioner Byrns and others, that the planned esplanade could go around the building.

 

The bulk, massing, design and materials of the proposed new buildings on the pier met with the most disapproval.  Most commented that the new buildings were out of scale with the district.  Rather than opening view corridors, the new plan would block crucial views of the Brooklyn Bridge, offering only glimpses.  Commissioner Elizabeth Ryan found the moving of seafaring materials to a building on land “very faux.”  Other comments regarded the design and materials as disruptive to the historic district.

 

For more on the meeting and GGP’s response take a look the City Room blog and this article from the Downtown Express.

 

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HDC Launches Three New League of Preservation Voters Efforts in Anticipation of Upcoming Special Elections

 

With the November election cycle behind us, HDC is gearing up to go forward with its League of Preservation Voters initiative on a citywide scale. In 2009 HDC will be launching League coalitions in all 51 City Council districts, from the northern Bronx to the south shore of Staten Island and everywhere in between.

 

There are, however, a few local races looming just around the corner. Earlier this month, three (possibly four) current City Councilmembers were elected to higher office; their soon-to-be-empty council seats will be filled via special selection sometime in early 2009. HDC is currently reaching out to local neighborhood groups and civic associations in each of these districts and will launch official League coalitions to highlight local preservation and development concerns throughout the election period. As political hopefuls announce their candidacies, HDC and the League will reach out to their campaigns and educate them about the top preservation and development concerns within their districts.

 

Keep an eye out for the upcoming Council races in:

 

·         Council District 32, Queens:

Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Neponsit, Ozone Park, Rockaway Beach, Rockaway Park, Roxbury, South Ozone Park, South Richmond Hill, Woodhaven

·         Council District 49, Staten Island:

Arlington, Clifton, Dongan Hills, Grymes Hill, Mariners Harbor, New Brighton, Park Hill, Port Richmond, Rosebank, Snug Harbor East, Stapleton, St. George, Tompkinsville, West Brighton, Westerleigh

·         Council District 21, Queens:

Corona, Corona Heights, Corona Park, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Flushing Meadow, Jackson Heights, LaGuardia Airport

 

If you are interested in getting involved in these, or any, League of Preservation Voters efforts, please contact Lauren Belfer, community coordinator, at lbelfer@hdc.org or 212-614-9107. HDC will be preparing its educational campaigns over the next couple months, so now’s the time to get involved. Sign up and help shape this important discussion!

 

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Navigating the BSA: This Monday, December 1

 

In New York City, one body has the power to grant exceptions to certain local building laws and regulations on a case-by-case basis: the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA). Once granted, such special permissions, known as variances, provide building owners and developers with legal, alternative approaches to the city’s Zoning Resolution, Building and Fire Codes, and Multiple Dwelling and Labor Laws. The BSA also hears appeals made by property owners, community groups, elected officials and the like who believe that a given commissioner or agency head has issued a ruling that is illegal.

 

Comprised of five mayoral-appointed commissioners, the BSA is considered to be one of the most obscure but powerful bodies in city government. Yet many neighborhood advocates who have opposed or closely monitored construction projects in their neighborhoods have had to appeal to the BSA at one time or another. BSA Vice-Chair Christopher Collins will explain the basic steps of presenting to the Board, from how to navigate their procedures and requirements to how the most effective approach to formulating arguments.

 

The Coffee Talk begins at 8:30am and is held at the Neighborhood Preservation Center, 232 East 11th Street, between Second & Third Avenues in Manhattan. All Coffee Talk events are free of charge. Reservations required. To RSVP, E-mail hdc@hdc.org or call (212) 614-9107.

 

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Working on Landmarked Buildings in New York City:

Renovation, Restoration and Reuse

An Informational Seminar for Architects    

                                          

Join the Historic Districts Council for a practical seminar for professionals 
on the restoration, renovation and adaptive reuse of designated landmark 
buildings in New York City. 
 
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
10:00am - 5:00pm
Neighborhood Preservation Center, 
232 East 11th St., Manhattan
** 5 CE/HSW credit hours **
 
For more information or to register for this program, please visit 
www.hdc.org/architectsseminar.htm
 
There are over 25,000 buildings in New York City that are overseen and regulated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. These buildings range from rowhouses in Brooklyn Heights to commercial buildings in Midtown Manhattan and include prominent well-known structures such as Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building and Tweed Courthouse. Projects affecting these buildings require not only working with a special municipal agency, but understanding the basic philosophy of historic preservation as it is practiced in New York. 
 
Hear from experts who will detail case studies of real preservation projects and 
discuss new methods and materials. Get answers to frequently-asked questions
about the regulatory process and working with Landmarks Preservation Commission. 
Attendees will come away with a better understanding of the Landmarks process, 
which will greatly help with future projects affecting historic properties. 
 
Panels: 
• Questions and Answers with the Landmarks Preservation Commission
• Restoration and Renovation 
• Additions and New Construction 
 
Speakers: 
William Neeley Jr., Deputy Director of Preservation, Landmarks 
Preservation Commission; Daniel J. Allen, AIA, Cutsogeorge, Tooman and 
Allen Architects; Stephen Gottlieb, AIA, Superstructures; Françoise Bollack,
AIA, Françoise Bollack Architects; Page Cowley, FAIA, RIBA, Page Ayres Cowley
Architects; Kevin Wolfe, AIA, Kevin Wolfe Architects PC 
 
Fee: $175 general, $150 for Friends of HDC (lunch included)
5 CE/5 HSW Credit Hours. Space is limited.
 

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1965: Preservation Round the World When New York Signed Its Law: A Lecture with Anthony Tung

Wednesday, December 10
6:30-8:00 P.M.
Grace Church School
84 Fourth Avenue
Free; reservations required.
RSVP to hdc@hdc.org or (212) 614-9107

 

Anthony M. Tung, author of Preserving the World’s Great Cities: The Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis and former New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissioner, will present a talk that envisions the state of urban preservation on different continents at the moment when Mayor Robert F. Wagner signed the New York City Landmarks Preservation statute in 1965. With the process of civilization unfolding at varying speeds, igniting the upheaval of urban modernization, how did the heritage of London, Beijing, Mexico City, Rome, and Warsaw fare? Mr. Tung will show accompanying photographs to complement his lecture.

 

This event is co-sponsored by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and Neighborhood Preservation Center.