Proposed Addition to Pastis Building, 9-19 Ninth Avenue

A landmarks application has been filed for a 2 1/2 story addition to the two story building at 9-19 Ninth Avenue (at Little West 12th Street) in the Meatpacking District. The building housed the restaurant Pastis since the 1990's, and was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a set of stable and wagon buildings, which were combined into the present-day garage building in 1922 (more here). Because the building is also located within the Gansevoort Market Historic District which GVSHP fought to secure in 2003, any changes to the building are subject to the approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission after the public has had a chance to review the proposed changes and comment.

There will be a presentation of and public hearing on the proposed addition this Monday at Community Board #2. GVSHP has seen the design (which is not yet publicly available), and we have concerns that the proposed addition would overwhelm the existing building, a contributing piece of the Gansevoort Market Historic District. Following Monday's Community Board hearing and advisory vote on the application, it will be the subject of a public hearing before the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday, May 6th. See GVSHP's webpage on this landmarks application for more details, and sign up here if you would like to receive status updates on this application.

HOW TO HELP:

• Come to the Community Board #2 Landmarks Committee hearing on Monday, April 28th at the NYU Building, 5 Washington Place, rm. 101 (the hearing starts at 6:30 with multiple agenda items); find out more and give your opinion on this important application.

South Village Preservation Progress and Hurdles

Earlier this month the City Council upheld the landmark designation of the South Village Historic District, which was enacted in December. That landmark designation was Phase II of GVSHP's proposed South Village Historic District, which we have been fighting to achieve since 2006. Local Councilmembers Corey Johnson and Margaret Chin urged their colleagues to support the designation, which they did so unanimously. Earlier in the Spring, GVSHP's entire proposed South Village Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, providing tax breaks and potential grants for owners who chose to preserve and restore their properties, and offering restrictions against state or federal monies or actions from harming the historic character of the area.

But we still have a lot of work to do. The current Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair has refused to consider the third and final phase of GVSHP's proposed South Village Historic District, the area south of Houston Street, in spite of a promise to do so in 2008. And while GVSHP's proposal to rezone the South Village to put in place height limits and eliminate the zoning bonus for construction of dorms and other uiniversity facilities has enjoyed strong support from Community Board #2 and area businesses and residents, the City has thus not moved ahead.
HOW TO HELP:

• Write to Mayor de Blasio and urge him to support expanded landmarks protections and rezoning of the ENTIRE South Village right away >>

Public Programs and Landmarks Hearings Videos Now on GVSHP Website

GVSHP has expanded its YouTube page with videos of our recent public programs as well as video recordings of the Landmarks Preservation Commission's public hearings and meetings on items located in the Village, East Village, and NoHo.  

Missed GVSHP's recent Greenwich Village Stories reading with Lenny Kaye and Penny Arcade? Or our program on the creation of an opera about Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses? Or our 'Wooden Houses of Greenwich Village' lecture? All those and more can be found here on the Public Programs playlist on our YouTube page.

Want to see what the Landmarks Preservation Commission had to say when approving the hotel next to the Merchant’s House Museum (more here)? Or the design for the new building at 130 Seventh Avenue South (more here)? Or the public testimony on the proposed landmark designation of the Shearith Israel Synagogue at 334 East 14th Street (more here)? Since the Landmarks Preservation Commission recently began videotaping their public hearings and meetings, these and more items regarding our neighborhoods are now available for viewing in the Landmarks Preservation Commission Hearing Videos section GVSHP’s YouTube page.

You help make it happen!