SOUTH VILLAGE LANDMARKING HEARING
A HUGE SUCCESS
WITH OVERWHELMING PUBLIC SUPPORT;
Vote Tenatively Scheduled for Dec. 13,
Community Celebration at 6pm
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(l.) Map of the proposed new district; (r.) St. Anthony of Padua Church, in the proposed new district. Click to enlarge map.
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Tuesday’s hearing at the Landmarks Preservation Commission on the third and final phase of GVSHP’s proposed South Village Historic District, aka the Sullivan Thompson Historic District, was a huge success, with overwhelming support for the proposal from residents, preservationists, and elected officials. City Councilmember Corey Johnson, who has been key in advancing this proposal, spoke personally in favor, as did outgoing CB 2 Chair Tobi Bergman. Borough President Gale Brewer also sent a strong statement in support. Powerful interests including the Real Estate Board of New York and the Archdiocese of NY oppose the designation, however, so we take nothing for granted. See coverage from NY1, New York Press, Patch, NY YIMBY, and DNAinfo; and read GVSHP’s testimony.
The Commission is tentatively scheduled to vote upon the proposal during the day on December 13th (time TBD); if they vote to approve, the landmark designation will take immediate effect. If this happens, GVSHP will be holding a public celebration and thank you event at Film Forum, at 209 West Houston Street (6th/Varick) from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Achieving landmark protections for the forty blocks of the South Village has been a more than ten year campaign for GVSHP. In 2010, the city landmarked most of Phase I of GVSHP's proposed South Village Historic District. In 2013, they landmarked nearly all of Phase II. In October, the city finally agreed to move ahead with Phase III, after GVSHP, City Councilmember Corey Johnson, and many others insisted that no rezoning of the nearby St. John’s Terminal site should be considered without long-overdue landmark protections were implemented for this area.
The proposed historic district will protect approximately ten blocks, one hundred sixty buildings, and more than two hundred years of history. The designation cannot come too soon, as developers including Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner have been buying up properties in the area, and several historic buildings in the proposed district have been lost in recent years.
HOW TO HELP:
To read more about GVSHP’s efforts to protect the South Village, click here. To keep the progress going and support GVSHP’s preservation efforts, click here.
Next: 12/09/16
Previous: 11/18/16
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