http://www.nylandmarks.org Copyright 2012 2012-02-03T21:26:44-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/study_underway_to_preserve_1787_landmarkerasmus_academy_building/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/study_underway_to_preserve_1787_landmarkerasmus_academy_building/ Updated: February, 2012 In early 2010, representatives of the Erasmus Hall High School Alumni Association (Alumni Association) gave a tour of the Erasmus Academy Building to Conservancy staff. Dating from 1787, this wood-frame building in the middle of the Erasmus campus had been vacated over ten years before and was deteriorating rapidly. The City’s Department of Education (DOE) which had custody of it maintained that it could not be used for classrooms and therefore could not be the recipient of DOE funding to make necessary repairs. DOE pledged to cooperate with the Conservancy on any restoration and reuse plans, providing DOE funding was not involved. With The Conservancy commissioned a conditions study with grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s new Elizabeth and Richard Preservation Jeffe Fund for New York City, The 42nd Street Fund of the 42nd Street Development Corporation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Completed by the firm of Cutsogeorge Tooman & Allen Architects in December, 2010, the study estimated the exterior restoration costs at $2.5 million. The Conservancy also applied for and secured a grant of $300,000 from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund to underwrite a portion of this cost. In February, 2011, the Conservancy met with Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz (BP) and his staff to apprise him of the plight of the Academy Building and to request financial assistance for the exterior restoration project. At that meeting, the BP had an inspiration for an appropriate user for the building: the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), a major nonprofit institution based in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and seeking its own facility. See website at http://www.caribbeantradecenter.com Upon touring the building with the Conservancy and the Alumni Association shortly thereafter, CACCI enthusiastically embraced the prospect of restoring and occupying the Academy Building. Over 2011, the BP’s office shepherded the review of this project through various City agencies. On January 31, 2012, the BP announced that the project would move forward. Brief History of the Erasmus Academy Building The Academy is a wood-frame, clapboard Georgian-Federal style building that is located in the middle of the campus of Erasmus Hall High School in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Its history starts in Colonial New York when, in 1786, the Reverend John H. Livingston and Senator John Vanderbilt founded a private school on land donated by the nearby Flatbush Dutch Reformed Church. Leading citizens of that time, among them Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Peter Lefferts, and Robert Livingston, contributed funds for the construction of the Academy, which opened in 1787. It became the first secondary school in the State to be chartered by the Board of Regents, rendering Erasmus the oldest secondary school in the state and one of the oldest in the country. The Erasmus Academy building was one of the first properties designated as a city landmark by the newly formed Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1966 and then listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. By the end of the 19th century, changes in demographics resulted in an enrollment decline at the private Academy and a new demand for a large public school to accommodate the growing immigrant population. In 1896, the Board of Trustees donated the Academy building and its surrounding land to the Board of Education of the City of Brooklyn, with the proviso that the Board would “erect and maintain upon said lands a High School of the same character and grade as other High School buildings in the City of Brooklyn…” In 1898, the consolidation of New York City brought the various school systems in the boroughs under one city-wide agency. The buildings that were constructed around the Academy and that now comprise Erasmus Hall High School (EHHS) were completed in four campaigns between 1904 and 1940. The renowned school architect Charles B. J. Snyder was the Superintendent of Buildings for the Board of Education at the start. He designed a true campus for EHHS, with Collegiate Gothic style structures surrounding an open quadrangular green space. EHHS was designated as a city landmark in 2003. It boasts numerous illustrious alumni such as performing artists Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Lainie Kazan, Betty Comden, Beverly Sills, Barbara Stanwyck, Eli Wallach, and Susan Hayward; writers Bernard Malamud and Mickey Spillane; builder Sam Lefrak, former New Jersey governor Jim Florio, sports figures, scientists, and many more, including long-time Conservancy staffer Karen Ansis. The Academy served as classroom space until the middle of the 20th century, and then as administrative offices, a library, and a museum. 2011 Wall Street Journal Video 2012-02-03T21:26:44-05:00 2012-02-03T21:26:44-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/twa_terminal_update/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/twa_terminal_update/ UPDATE: Jan 30, 2012 The Port Authority has asked Conservancy’s Technical director Alex Herrera to be part of an advisory panel that will review proposed plans for the adaptive reuse of the landmark former TWA Terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport. The panel will also include a representative from the State Historic Preservation Office. The terminal, designed by Eero Saarinen, is one of the most photographed and widely admired Modernist buildings in the country. The Conservancy has long championed an adaptive reuse as the best way to preserve the original features and character of the building. Built when air travel was a completely different experience, the building does not meet any of the modern needs of an airline terminal and would have to undergo disfiguring major alterations to serve its original function. The Port Authority has solicited proposals to adapt the terminal into a small, 21st century airport hotel. After a lengthy RFP process, a developer and design team have been selected. The work will not adversely affect any of the building’s landmark spaces and significant features, all of which have been recently restored. We look forward to taking part in this latest phase, which will reopen the terminal to the public and bring new life to a landmark that the Conservancy has worked so long to save and preserve. February 2011 The Conservancy has always had a place at the table at the Section 106 review meetings involving the former TWA Terminal (Eero Saarinen, 1963). Along with other Consulting Parties we have advised the Port Authority and their consultants on the restoration of the landmark terminal as well as the construction of the new Jet Blue terminal directly behind it. Now, in its efforts to find a sympathetic new use for the terminal, the Port Authority is set to release a Request for Proposal to turn the landmark, at least in part, to a boutique hotel. The central portion of the terminal will remain open to the public and will provide internal access to the new Jet Blue terminal as well as to restaurants and other concessions. In terms of an adaptive reuse, we look forward to taking part of those discussions and doing our best to assure that the new use does not adversely impact the landmark. Click here to read the Wall Street Journal story 2012-01-30T18:01:34-05:00 2012-01-30T18:01:34-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/26_applications_received_in_january_sacred_sites_grant_round/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/26_applications_received_in_january_sacred_sites_grant_round/ The Conservancy has received 26 Sacred Sites grant applications in the January 2012 grant round, including 3 applications rolled over from prior grant rounds. Applications have come in from 17 counties throughout New York State. Project costs for the current grant applications – for work ranging from stained glass restoration to masonry and steeple repair, to in-kind slate and copper roof replacement, range from a few thousand dollars to nearly 2 million. Staff will visit the historic sites, from the Bronx to Buffalo, over the next several months, with grants to be awarded in April 2012. 2012-01-30T17:40:17-05:00 2012-01-30T17:40:17-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/tourist_in_your_own_town_6_-_williamsburgh_savings_bank_tower/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/tourist_in_your_own_town_6_-_williamsburgh_savings_bank_tower/ We are very pleased to present the sixth installment of our video series encouraging New Yorkers and visitors alike to discover the rich abundance of remarkable landmarks that surround us each and every day. Through our financial and technical programs and our advocacy, the Conservancy works to preserve New York’s exceptional architectural legacy – the iconic buildings and historic neighborhoods – that define this vibrant and extraordinary City. This month we celebrate Historic Skyscrapers by visiting the landmark Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower at One Hanson Place in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Built in 1927 by the architectural firm of Halsey, McCormark and Helmer, it is one of the largest clock towers in the world with some of the finest 20th-century interiors in Brooklyn. Luckily, you can visit this former ornamental banking hall on weekends now through April as the Brooklyn Flea moves their popular market with gourmet food vendors indoors for the winter. You can shop, eat and view great architecture all in one place and don’t forget to visit the basement to see the 60-ton vault doors — they are quite impressive! It is an easy stop off most subway lines to the Atlantic Avenue Terminal (25 minutes from Lower Manhattan). For more information or directions visit www.brooklynflea.com Special thanks to Skylight One Hanson, who meticulously restored this interior landmark, which now provides a beautiful event space for weddings, dinners and a variety of occasions. See more photos on our Facebook Album 2012-01-27T15:53:50-05:00 2012-01-27T15:53:50-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/nylc_testifies_in_favor_of_downtown_brooklyn_historic_district/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/nylc_testifies_in_favor_of_downtown_brooklyn_historic_district/ Update: January 24th, 2012 In a major win for the Landmarks Law, the City Council’s Landmarks Subcommittee faced down intense opposition to affirm the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District in downtown Brooklyn last Tuesday. The full Land Use Committee voted to affirm two days later. The 21 buildings in the District represent the Borough’s historic center. Co-op residents at 75 Livingston Street wanted their architecturally impressive building excluded from the District based on unsubstantiated claims that landmarking would substantially increase renovation and repair costs. The Conservancy countered those claims with an informal survey of the architects, engineers and construction companies that work in historic districts. They reported minimal to no increased costs associated with designation. We shared our findings with Speaker Christine Quinn, Subcommittee Chair Brad Lander and Councilmember Steve Levin, who represents the District. Speaker Quinn also asked the Conservancy during a meeting about owner claims that one building in the district, 186 Remsen Street, was too deteriorated to repair and should be excluded. The Real Estate Board of New York also opposed designating this particular building, and a second commercial structure. The Conservancy believed the Remsen Street building was sound and quickly reached out to the Department of Buildings chief forensic engineer. He agreed, described the building as one of the best preserved of its era, and dubbed it “bomb proof.” We reported this to the Speaker and Councilmembers Lander and Levin as well. The Conservancy regarded the fight over this district as potentially very damaging to the Landmarks Law. If influential opponents could use unsubstantiated arguments to remove buildings from this designation, future designations would be threatened. The Conservancy thanks Speaker Quinn for a fair hearing and Councilmembers Lander and Levin for voting on the merits. The Subcommittee and full Committee actions usually signal how the full Council will vote. The Conservancy worked with the Brooklyn Heights Association and the Municipal Arts Society to propose the district to the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2006. Read the joint statement of Council Member Brad Lander & Council Member Stephen Levin On the Affirmation of the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District The Conservancy Testified in Favor of Downtown Brooklyn Historic District December 14th, 2011 The Conservancy strongly supported the Brooklyn Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District at a City Council hearing earlier this month and is working to counter opponents claims that designation would make repairs excessively costly. (read our testimony) In the face of some vocal opposition, the Council postponed its vote until next month, closer to the February deadline when the Council must act. This is a district that the Conservancy brought to the attention of the LPC along with the Brooklyn Heights Association and the Municipal Art Society when we produced a study of the area in 2006. Click here to read more about the study and our testimony. Although the Landmarks Commission voted unanimously to approve the downtown Brooklyn District, the decision whether to affirm, modify or overturn now lies with the City Council. Historically, the Council has affirmed nearly all landmark designations, but it recently overturned LPC decisions on individual landmarks on the Bowery and in Queens. Owners and residents of the sole residential and several commercial buildings spoke in opposition to the designation, raising fears that that it would incur excessive costs. Prior to the hearing, Conservancy staff met with residents and Council members in Brooklyn and at City Hall to counter those concerns. In addition to our testimony, the Conservancy provided the results of a quick survey of architects and engineers disputing those charges. The District, which is composed of 21 buildings, forms the historic core of downtown Brooklyn. It is characterized by tall commercial buildings from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, designed in a range of styles from the Romanesque-Revival to the Beaux-Arts to the Modern. The District contains many of the borough’s most architecturally distinguished business buildings, as well as its two most significant civic structures—the Brooklyn Municipal Building and the individually-designated Brooklyn Borough Hall. Click here to access the LPC designation report The boundaries of this Historic District were drawn deliberately, to include a superlative group of buildings with an exception sense of place. In testimony at the public hearing, the Conservancy and other preservation advocates reminded the Council of these facts. We will continue working to ensure that a decision is based on merit, not on unsubstantiated claims. 2012-01-24T17:22:05-05:00 2012-01-24T17:22:05-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_says_city_and_suburban_hardship_applicant_failed_to_prove_case/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_says_city_and_suburban_hardship_applicant_failed_to_prove_case/ City and Suburban Homes Company, First Avenue Estate (429 East 64th and 430 East 65th Street) At a hearing on January 24, the Landmarks Conservancy testified that a request to demolish 429 East 64th Street/430 East 65th Street, within the landmarked City and Suburban complex on the Upper East Side, failed to demonstrate that these buildings do not generate a sufficient return. In the first hardship case based on an economic argument in over 20 years, the Conservancy questioned projected rents and vacancy rates, among other issues. Elected officials, preservation and civic groups, building residents, and other members of the public also spoke out against the application, and members of the Landmarks Commission immediately began questioning its assertions. The Conservancy supported landmarking City and Suburban Homes, First Avenue Estates in 1990 because these model tenements represent a significant building type in the City. At that time, the Board of Estimate excluded the two buildings in question from the designation. They were designated in 2006, again with Conservancy support. The public hearing was one step in the hardship process. No vote was taken, and the Conservancy will continue to monitor this issue. Read our testimony below. January 24, 2012 STATEMENT OF THE NEW YORK LANDMARKS CONSERVANCY BEFORE THE NEW YORK CITY LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION REGARDING AN APPLICATION TO DEMOLISH 429 EAST 64TH STREET AKA 430 EAST 65TH STREET ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEY GENERATE AN INSUFFICIENT ECONOMIC RETURN Good day, Chairman Tierney and Commissioners. I am Andrea Goldwyn, speaking on behalf of The New York Landmarks Conservancy. The City and Suburban Homes, First Avenue Estate are modest buildings, but these model tenements represent a significant building type in New York City’s history, which the Conservancy recognized when we supported designation of the entire complex in 1990 and of the “subject buildings” in 2006. The application before you today, a request to demolish 429 East 64th Street and 430 East 65th Street based on insufficient economic return, is the first such case in over 20 years, and demands a serious and thorough review. The Conservancy’s Public Policy Committee has carefully considered the application materials, has met with the applicants, heard from the opponents, and visited the subject buildings to see the conditions first-hand. Based on this evaluation, we cannot support the application because we do not feel that the applicants have met their burden of proof. The applicants have presented various scenarios with multiple data points in terms of projected rental income, projected vacancy rates, projected costs, all applied to the mathematical formula required by the Landmarks Law. However, within these scenarios, there are issues that we find unresolved, so we urge the Landmarks Commission to question the following assertions. The first, and most striking, is the assertion found in the Cushman & Wakefield feasibility study that the projected average monthly market-rate rent for renovated units in the subject buildings would be $600. A key factor is the characterization of the units as inferior, very small, and “atypical to market norms.” Our Board and staff who visited the buildings found them in need of repair, but well within the range of what exists at often higher rents in Manhattan and the Upper East Side. According to Citi Habitat’s December 2011 Rental Market Analysis the Upper East Side’s market average rent at the end of 2011 was $3,296. (Studios $1,786; 1BR $2,384; 2BR $3,299; 3BR $5,713.) We also question the suggested stabilized vacancy rate, which is presented at 10% in the C&W study. The applicants told us that while the vacancy rate rose for a brief time in the 2009 “test year,” it quickly rebounded to more a level more typical for Manhattan. The same Citi Habitats Report indicates that Manhattan’s overall vacancy rate declined from 1.34% to 1.27% between Dec 2010 and Dec 2011, and was 1.17% on the Upper East Side. A related question is the proposed absorption rate of 51 months, which would lead to lease-up costs of $1,788,600. The applicants tell us that the 51 months is based on the need to renovate units before putting them on the market. Shouldn’t we then spread the renovation costs over 51 months instead of the single test year as the applicant proposes? While the Project Consult report lists repairs required for all of the vacant apartments, we hope that the Commission will have the opportunity to visit each unit to verify, since the consultants, according to their report, inspected only 14 apartments. We also suggest that other, less expensive solutions that might be possible, such as substituting showers for the custom bathtubs listed in the report. And we hope that the Commission will have the opportunity to visit apartments in other buildings on the same block. The proposed rents and vacancy rates in the subject buildings are in some cases based on those other buildings with the subjects considered less desirable. We have not seen those other buildings, but have been told that they are actually in some ways inferior to the subject buildings, with bathtubs in kitchens and toilets in closets. Finally, we have worked with these owners before, and found them to be good stewards of other landmarked properties in their portfolio, but in this instance we have to question whether they are in fact operating the property “under reasonably efficient and prudent management,” so that these buildings are “capable of earning a reasonable return” as the Landmarks Law defines hardship. They significantly altered the building exterior as re-designation was being contemplated, at a cost estimated to be $450,000 at the time of the DOB permit application. These are funds that might have been applied, at least in part, toward the interior costs proposed today. And, based on photographs, it appears that they then left related interior work unfinished, only adding to today’s projected expenses. While the Landmarks Law relies on a relatively simple mathematical formula to define hardship and while the applicants have provided reams of pages and multiple calculations as they try to reach that conclusion, they have instead raised questions. We hope that the Commission will take advantage of all available resources to examine the assertions presented in the application to determine whether they have in fact met that critical burden of proof. Based on what we have seen, both in the documents and at the building, they do not. Thank you for the opportunity to present the Conservancy’s views. 2012-01-24T15:30:58-05:00 2012-01-24T15:30:58-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/9_11_memorial_tour_with_architect_michael_arad/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/9_11_memorial_tour_with_architect_michael_arad/ January 10, 2012 The New York Landmarks Conservancy was given a special tour of the 9/11 Memorial by the designer, architect Michael Arad. Thanks Michael! Mr. Arad’s design was selected as the winner from over 5,200 entries. The memorial honors the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 and does a wonderful job of balancing a place to mourn while also creating a new and vibrant place to see New York and its many workers, visitors and residents continuing on as a community; It reflects the life of the city. 2012-01-20T21:09:00-05:00 2012-01-20T21:09:00-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/nylc_supports_landmark_designation_of_east_10th_street_historic_district/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/nylc_supports_landmark_designation_of_east_10th_street_historic_district/ January 17, 2012 Read our testimony below. STATEMENT OF THE NEW YORK LANDMARKS CONSERVANCY BEFORE THE NEW YORK CITY LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION REGARDING PROPOSED DESIGNATION OF THE EAST 10TH STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT Good day Chair Tierney and Commissioners. I am Andrea Goldwyn, speaking on behalf of The New York Landmarks Conservancy. The Conservancy strongly supports landmark designation of the East 10th Street Historic District. This block contains a rich collection of 19th century row houses which maintain much of their historic fabric. While there have been some alterations, the buildings have the same scale, height, and volume as when built. Beyond architectural merit, the East Village derives a special sense of place from the vast sweep of history that has taken place on its streets. From early days as a base for merchants, to decades of welcoming immigrant communities, to serving as the home for the social movements and artistic communities so prominent in more recent years, this block truly tells the story of New York. We would like to remind building owners of the advantages of landmarking. The City’s own Independent Budget Office has issued a study stating that historic district designation stabilizes and improves property values. Just as designation has benefited other parts of Lower Manhattan, landmarking in the East Village will enhance the neighborhood, ensuring that any alterations are guided by the Landmarks Law. There is no doubt that the East Village will continue to grow and evolve as it has for over 200 years; with landmark designation, new generations of residents, business owners, artists, and immigrants will be able to rediscover and use this community’s rich architectural heritage. We would also urge the Commission to act quickly and bring the proposed East Village/Lower East Side Historic District to a public hearing, and both districts to a vote. The distinctive historic fabric of these communities is at risk, and each day’s delay allows potential for inappropriate alteration or even demolition. Thank you for the opportunity to present the Conservancy’s views. 2012-01-20T19:07:55-05:00 2012-01-20T19:07:55-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/east_10th_street_historic_district_manhattan/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/east_10th_street_historic_district_manhattan/ January 17, 2012 2012-01-20T16:44:55-05:00 2012-01-20T16:44:55-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/crown_heights_north_phase_iii_historic_district_brooklyn/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/crown_heights_north_phase_iii_historic_district_brooklyn/ January 17, 2012 2012-01-20T16:41:34-05:00 2012-01-20T16:41:34-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_supports_designation_of_the_third_phase_for_crown_heights_north/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_supports_designation_of_the_third_phase_for_crown_heights_north/ January 17, 2012 Read our testimony below. STATEMENT OF THE NEW YORK LANDMARKS CONSERVANCY BEFORE THE N.Y.C. LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION REGARDING THE PROPOSED DESIGNATION OF THE CROWN HEIGHTS NORTH PHASE III HISTORIC DISTRICT IN BROOKLYN Good morning, Chair Tierney and Commissioners. I am Andrea Goldwyn, speaking on behalf of The New York Landmarks Conservancy. The Conservancy strongly supports the designation of the third phase of the Crown Heights North Historic District. We are pleased to join with neighbors, public officials, preservationists, and the dedicated advocates of the Crown Heights North Association, in doing so. This section of Crown Heights North is an impressive collection of buildings that forms attractive streetscapes and creates a vivid sense of place, deserving of the protection of the Landmarks Law. The late 19th and early 20th century row houses, apartments and institutions that comprise the District, many in the Renaissance Revival style, feature elaborate stonework, a mosaic of materials, and artful decorative elements. We are fortunate that many of the buildings are so little changed. The Conservancy knows Crown Heights North first-hand. Our Historic Properties Fund has made many site visits and several loans to buildings in the larger National Register District. We’ve appeared at numerous community meetings. And when our Sacred Sites program surveyed the former synagogue buildings of Brooklyn the program director called The Church of God in Christ at Park and Kingston the finest such property in the borough. We look forward to continuing to work with owners and residents in the District. And we would like to commend the Commission for recognizing the remarkable architecture found across Crown Heights North. Thank you for the opportunity to present The Landmarks Conservancy’s views. 2012-01-20T15:49:32-05:00 2012-01-20T15:49:32-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/new_york_city_center/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/new_york_city_center/ Professional Circle Tour of the newly restored New York City Center 131 West 55th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues Wednesday, January 18 Professional Circle members had an exclusive “behind the scenes” tour of the newly restored New York City Center led by Duncan Hazard, partner at Ennead Architects. City Center, with its unique neo-Moorish facade, was built in 1923 as a meeting hall for the members of the Ancient Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. In 2010, City Center initiated a comprehensive renovation project to dramatically enhance audience and artist experiences while bringing back the beauty and charm of the organization’s landmarked theater. The modernization and restoration marks the building’s first major renovation since its construction in the early 1920s. A grand re-opening in October began a new era for the building and for New York City Center. 2012-01-20T15:05:52-05:00 2012-01-20T15:05:52-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/governors_island_alliance_charts_independence/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/governors_island_alliance_charts_independence/ December, 2011 The Governors Island Alliance passed measures that will lead to its independence as a non-profit organization at a meeting at the Conservancy offices on December 6. The GIA has been housed within the Regional Plan Association since it was founded in 1995. GIA’s mission is to build a constituency for the Island, promote appropriate new development, and the preservation and reuse of the historic buildings. Some 448,000 New Yorkers and tourists visited the Island in the 2011 summer season. The goal is to provide long term advocacy through successive City administrations. While Mayor Bloomberg has made creation of a new park on the Island a priority, the Alliance wants to ensure that future Mayors complete and maintain the park. The Alliance also believes that finding new uses for the historic buildings that give the Island its character is an essential part of the providing revenue for the Island. The Landmarks Conservancy was a founding member of the Alliance and has a seat on its executive committee. The Conservancy’s main interest is preserving and promoting the historic building and forts. Shortly before the GIA meeting, the Conservancy testified at a City Council oversight hearing on current developments on the Island. The Conservancy generally supported the City’s Governors Island Trust plans for repairs on many of the historic structures. We also noted that the Conservancy commissioned a pro bono assessment of fire risk and protection for the structures from expert Chris Marrion and discussed the findings with Trust staff. The Trust’s plans would require Island personnel to detect a fire, then report it to the City Fire Department, which would have to travel to the Island. The Conservancy testified that we hoped there would eventually be direct notification of alarms to the Fire Department and the reopening of the shuttered Island firehouse. Read our testimony 2011-12-27T20:09:36-05:00 2011-12-27T20:09:36-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/governors_island/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/governors_island/ Testimony November 30, 2011 2011-12-27T19:57:29-05:00 2011-12-27T19:57:29-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/regarding_borough_hall_skyscraper_historic_district_brooklyn/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/regarding_borough_hall_skyscraper_historic_district_brooklyn/ Testimony December 14, 2011 2011-12-15T18:21:24-05:00 2011-12-15T18:21:24-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/second_court_decision_finds_city_and_state_violated_the_law_regarding_tobac/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/second_court_decision_finds_city_and_state_violated_the_law_regarding_tobac/ December 13, 2011 A State Supreme Court Justice ruled that the City and State violated the State Public Trust doctrine when they removed the Tobacco Warehouse from Brooklyn Bridge Park. This strong decision follows an equally strong Federal Court decision in July stating that the City and State violated federal laws in this same action. The Landmarks Conservancy was a co-plaintiff in the Federal suit. A press release is below. Press Release by Linda Gross, LCG Communications -December 13th, 2011 Community Groups Score Second Big Win In Tobacco Warehouse Case State Court Declares Illegal Transfer Of Historic Structure a “Nullity,” Saying State And City Officials Violated Public Trust Brooklyn, New York – In sweeping language, a state judge ruled yesterday evening that state and city officials violated the public trust by transferring the Tobacco Warehouse to a private theater, and he forbade officials from taking any further action over the historic structure (which is located within Brooklyn Bridge Park) without the explicit approval of the state legislature. With this new decision, the plaintiffs in the case — the Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA) and the Fulton Ferry Landing Association — achieved a second historic legal victory, which has far-reaching consequences. The decision severely restricts state or city officials from giving parkland away for private development. In his decision yesterday, Justice David B. Vaughan wrote that the Bloomberg Administration’s plan, which got the help of state officials, was a “nullity because it violated New York’s public trust doctrine.” The court’s decision recounts the shadowy series of transfers, based on dubious legal authority, the administration had used to transfer the Tobacco Warehouse to private interests. Justice Vaughan’s opinion rebuked the Administration’s arguments, citing “undisputed evidence” that the dedication of the Tobacco Warehouse as parkland was “manifestly unambiguous” and derided the Administration’s arguments as “conclusory” and devoid of legal support. “Since two separate courts have found the government’s actions unlawful, we hope the Administration will finally appreciate that it put the interests of a private organization over the public interest, and it failed in its duties to protect a vibrant and important public structure,” said Jim Walden an attorney with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, the firm that litigated the case pro bono on behalf of the plaintiffs. “We knew that our fight to save the Tobacco Warehouse for the public was necessary and that the defense of the public trust in this case was the right thing for the Brooklyn Heights Association to do. We feel doubly rewarded by Justice Vaughan’s decision to uphold it,” said Judy Stanton, Executive Director of the BHA. “Historically, it’s fallen to us, the community, to step forward to protect the Tobacco Warehouse from being snatched from the public. This victory for public land – not once, but twice affirmed by the court, is incredibly gratifying and will stand as a precedent for years to come,” said Joan Zimmerman, President of the Fulton Ferry Landing Association. The public trust doctrine is an accepted legal principle, a part of common law in New York State, which says that parks belong to the people. If land has been designated or used as a park consistently, state courts have often ruled that the land cannot be removed or “alienated” without the approval of the State’s legislature. Assemblymember Joan Millman, in whose district the Tobacco Warehouse resides, applauded the decision and vowed to uphold the public trust doctrine, if put to the test. “Our position regarding the Tobacco Warehouse has once been upheld, first by the federal court and now by our state court. According to the state judge, a municipality cannot take dedicated parkland and covert it to non park purposes without the approval of the state legislature. And there’s no way I’m approving that,” she said. This decision follows a federal decision in July, also in favor of Gibson Dunn’s clients, (including The New York Landmarks Conservancy, and the Preservation League of New York State in addition to the Brooklyn Heights Association and the Fulton Ferry Landing Association) declaring that federal, state, and city officials violated federal law by removing the structure without following a regulatory requirements. The state decision is broader, as officials are now required to get permission from the state legislature before they can even apply exemptions under federal rules. “Today’s court decision is another sign that process does matter, and New York’s public trust doctrine is one of our state’s fundamental protections of open space. I hope that the community comes together on uses for the Tobacco Warehouse within the definitions laid out by the court yesterday,” said State Senator Daniel Squadron, who represents the Tobacco Warehouse neighborhood. But the state court’s decision also has national implications, especially for those concerned with protecting public spaces. “Groups fighting for the preservation of public parkland, other public spaces and landmarks will hail this as a major victory and will be able to cite this case as they pursue their own battles,” said Peg Breen, President of the New York Landmarks Conservancy. “We hope everyone will now agree that the Tobacco Warehouse is exactly where it belongs and that a precedent has been set that sends a strong message: public spaces and are for all of the public to enjoy and attempts to take away any of it will be met with action by community groups and the courts,” said Jane McGroarty, President of the Brooklyn Heights Association. In addition to Jim Walden, the Gibson Dunn & Crutcher legal team included attorneys James Hallowell, Richard Falek, Adam Cohen, Matthew Menendez, Kimberly Yuhas, Adam Jantzi, Lloyd Kim, Vikram Kumar, and Yara Mansour. 2011-12-14T14:52:47-05:00 2011-12-14T14:52:47-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/sacred_sites_receives_a_special_citation_award/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/sacred_sites_receives_a_special_citation_award/ In recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Program, the Landmark Society of Western New York honored the program at the Society’s Annual Meeting on November 20th. The Society cited the Conservancy’s $7.3 million in grant assistance to hundreds of religious institutions across the state, our publication Common Bond, and our helpful workshops on topics from energy conservation to fundraising. The Society noted that dozens of congregations in the 9-county region surrounding Rochester have benefited from Conservancy grants and technical assistance over the last 25 years: 120 grants totaling $724,000 to 77 historic religious properties in the greater Rochester region. These grants have helped to fund restoration projects totaling $26 million. In particular, the Society noted that multiple Conservancy grants over several years, as well as focused challenge grants, have helped guide and fund comprehensive restoration projects at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rochester, First Presbyterian Churches in Batavia and East Avon and Epworth Hall at Silver Lake Institute in Perry. The grants have also helped with emergency repairs and stabilization at the Church of God and Saints of Christ, the former Leopold Street Shul in Rochester. The Landmark Society of Western NY also granted a Special Achievement Award to Rochester preservation architect John Bero, the consultant for many Conservancy grant projects over the last 25 years. 2011-11-30T16:18:50-05:00 2011-11-30T16:18:50-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/2011_lucy_g._moses_preservation_awards_call_for_nominations/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/2011_lucy_g._moses_preservation_awards_call_for_nominations/ LUCY G. MOSES PRESERVATION AWARDS The Moses Awards are the Conservancy’s highest honors for outstanding preservation efforts. Named in honor of dedicated New Yorker and noted philanthropist Lucy G. Moses, the Awards recognize the property owners, builders, architects, artisans, and designers who renew the beauty and utility of New York City’s distinctive architecture. The annual Moses Awards celebrate the success of historic preservation and its role in the economic, social, and cultural vitality of the City. Preservation Awards are given to projects that demonstrate excellence in the restoration, preservation, or adaptive use of historic buildings, streetscapes, and landscapes that preserve commercial, residential, institutional, religious, and public buildings. Other possible categories include community groups or organizations that foster neighborhood revitalization. The Preservation Leadership Award is bestowed upon an outstanding individual in the field of historic preservation. Past honorees include Ruth Abram, Wint Aldrich, Tony Avella, Kent Barwick, Simon Breines, Giorgio Cavaglieri, Kenneth Cobb, Stanley Cogan, Joan K. Davidson, Kenneth K. Fisher, James Marston Fitch, Margot Gayle, Anne Van Ingen, Judith Kaye, Sarah Bradford Landau, Joan Maynard, Evelyn and Everett Ortner, Nancy and Otis Pratt Pearsall, Adolf K. Placzek, Jan Hird Pokorny, Henry Hope Reed, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, Vincent Scully and Robert Silman. Only projects that are substantially completed during 2011 and located within the five boroughs of New York City will be considered. Books, other publications, and films are not eligible. The 2011 ‘call for nominations’ deadline has passed, please check back for more information on the Awards. All nominations were due by January 13, 2012. If you have any questions please call Andrea Goldwyn at 212.995.5260. 2011-11-14T15:56:16-05:00 2011-11-14T15:56:16-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/whitney_townhouses_modification_hearing/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/whitney_townhouses_modification_hearing/ Testimony October 18, 2011 2011-10-28T20:00:12-05:00 2011-10-28T20:00:12-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/upper_west_side_historic_district_extension/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/upper_west_side_historic_district_extension/ Testimony October 25, 2011 2011-10-28T19:52:21-05:00 2011-10-28T19:52:21-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/david_berg_foundation_renews_doubles_gift/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/david_berg_foundation_renews_doubles_gift/ The David Berg Foundation, which helped launch the Conservancy’s Jewish Heritage Fund in 2009 with a $100,000 grant, has renewed and doubled its gift. The Jewish Heritage Fund will now receive $200,000 to underwrite challenge grants of up to $75,000 for major synagogue restoration projects. The Jewish Heritage Fund has awarded four grants totaling $170,000 in the past two years for the renovation of historic New York City synagogues, and has provided direct project funding for the $1.7 million restoration of Congregation Tifereth Israel, the oldest synagogue in Queens. Congregation Tifereth Israel is under construction, as is Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, recipient of a $50,000 grant toward the $700,000 restoration of its roof and limestone facades. Additionally, Roy J. Zuckerberg, who provided the initial $25,000 to launch the Jewish Heritage Fund, has renewed his gift this year. For more info on the Jewish Heritage Fund Grant, click here 2011-10-28T19:09:55-05:00 2011-10-28T19:09:55-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/work_is_underway_at_christ_church_in_walton_ny/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/work_is_underway_at_christ_church_in_walton_ny/ After seven years of planning, the Christ Church bell tower in Walton, New York is currently being restored. The Conservancy’s Sacred Sites program assisted in the planning and construction phases of the $120,000 steeple restoration project at Christ Church in Walton with a $25,000 Robert W. Wilson Sacred Sites Challenge Grant and several smaller grants for architectural services. This 1832, wood-framed meeting-house style church is the only remaining church of three built in the village of Walton, located on the Delaware River, about sixty miles east of Binghamton. The bell tower framing was damaged in a 1961 fire, and never adequately repaired, while exterior wood trim, tracery and pinnacles had weathered and were in need of substantial restoration and replacement. The congregation began planning repairs in 2005, but fundraising efforts were delayed when the town experienced severe flooding in 2007. The Sacred Sites program has provided $55,000 in grants to Christ Church since 1990 to help fund architectural services and structural and exterior restoration work. 2011-10-28T18:54:31-05:00 2011-10-28T18:54:31-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/conservancy_staff_present_at_national_trust_conference_in_buffalo/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/conservancy_staff_present_at_national_trust_conference_in_buffalo/ Alternating Currents: National Preservation Conference Buffalo, NY Oct.19-22, 2011 Friday, October 21 1:15–2:45 p.m. Sacred Sites Renewed Historic religious properties are threatened by changing patterns of worship, declining congregations, and escalating maintenance and energy costs. When they close, their communities suffer. The New York Landmarks Conservancy has granted $6.7 million to 660 congregations, enabling them to continue offering social and educational services and arts programs while anchoring their communities. Discover how congregations across New York have adapted their facilities to new uses, while remaining in situ and revitalizing their neighborhoods. These case studies can be replicated around the country: Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church (Buffalo), which is converting its parish hall into apartments and dividing its sanctuary into worship and community space; the Museum at Eldridge Street (NYC) which shares its facility with an Orthodox congregation; and the Universal Preservation Hall (Saratoga Springs) which has adapted its sanctuary as an events venue while retaining a chapel. Session Manager: Andrea Goldwyn, Director of Public Policy, New York Landmarks Conservancy, New York, NY Speakers: Ann-Isabel Friedman, Director, Sacred Sites Program, New York Landmarks Conservancy, New York, NY; Amy Stein-Milford, Deputy Director, Museum at Eldridge Street, New York, NY; Dorothy Foster, President, Board of Directors, Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs, NY; Rev. Drew Ludwig, Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, Buffalo; Murray F. Gould, Port City Preservation, Oswego, NY. 2011-10-20T20:17:12-05:00 2011-10-20T20:17:12-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/conservancy_staff_present_at_national_trust_conference_in_buffalo/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/conservancy_staff_present_at_national_trust_conference_in_buffalo/ Alternating Currents: National Preservation Conference Buffalo, NY Oct.19-22, 2011 Sacred Sites Renewed Friday, October 21 1:15–2:45 p.m. Historic religious properties are threatened by changing patterns of worship, declining congregations, and escalating maintenance and energy costs. When they close, their communities suffer. The New York Landmarks Conservancy has granted $6.7 million to 660 congregations, enabling them to continue offering social and educational services and arts programs while anchoring their communities. Discover how congregations across New York have adapted their facilities to new uses, while remaining in situ and revitalizing their neighborhoods. These case studies can be replicated around the country: Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church (Buffalo), which is converting its parish hall into apartments and dividing its sanctuary into worship and community space; the Museum at Eldridge Street (NYC) which shares its facility with an Orthodox congregation; and the Universal Preservation Hall (Saratoga Springs) which has adapted its sanctuary as an events venue while retaining a chapel. Session Manager: Andrea Goldwyn, Director of Public Policy, New York Landmarks Conservancy, New York, NY Speakers: Ann-Isabel Friedman, Director, Sacred Sites Program, New York Landmarks Conservancy, New York, NY; Amy Stein-Milford, Deputy Director, Museum at Eldridge Street, New York, NY; Dorothy Foster, President, Board of Directors, Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs, NY; Rev. Drew Ludwig, Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, Buffalo; Murray F. Gould, Port City Preservation, Oswego, NY. PowerPoint Presentation Slide Show 2011-10-20T13:51:41-05:00 2011-10-20T13:51:41-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/hard_hat_tour_-_four_freedoms_park_roosevelt_island/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/hard_hat_tour_-_four_freedoms_park_roosevelt_island/ November 8, 2011 Professional Circle members had an exclusive hard hat tour of Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island. Scheduled to open to the public in the fall 2012, Four Freedoms Park, a memorial to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was designed by Louis I. Kahn (1901 – 1974) one of the masters of 20th century architecture. Kahn died unexpectedly shortly after the design was completed and the project languished for decades. It will be the only work of Kahn’s in New York City. Adjacent to the Park is Renwick Ruin, named for its architect James Renwick, Jr., (1818-1895) who also designed Grace Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Landmarks Conservancy has fought for many years to preserve this New York City landmark, one of the Island’s six landmarked buildings. The others being: Blackwell House, Chapel of the Good Shepherd, The Lighthouse, The Octagon and the Strecker Laboratory. 2011-10-19T20:22:29-05:00 2011-10-19T20:22:29-05:00