Take Action on an Advocacy Campaign
The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s Resistance to Protecting Our History and Undertaking New Designations Must End
Village Preservation’s report Analyzing New York City Landmark Designations shows a disturbing recent trend, especially under Mayor Adams, of a dramatic drop in landmark designations considered by the city, even as historic buildings and areas succumb to the wrecking ball. Tell the city to change course, with the Landmarks Preservation Commission once again taking up the cause of vigorously protecting our city’s precious and diverse histories for future generations to appreciate.
Preservation and Affordability Go Hand in Hand; Demolition and Oversized Development Harm Neighborhoods and Affordability
The increasing lack of affordability of housing in New York is a serious challenge facing our city and only getting worse, but the “build baby build” approach held by many elected leaders may not. be the best answer for our communities. Read our new Policy Paper on Affordability and Preservation to counter myths and misinformation, and urge officials to implement its recommendations for a more affordable and resilient city.
Support Expanded Landmark Protections in the East Village
Urge the Mayor, LPC Chair, and Councilmember Rivera to support significantly expanded landmark protections in the East Village. More and more of that history is being erased or lost, and can only be preserved and protected through landmarking.
Mayor Adams’ RFP for 388 Hudson Street Still Calls for an Unnecessarily Oversized Building
Mayor Adams has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for development of a 388 Hudson Street. While the RFP includes a few elements we had called for, it still projects a building that’s wildly out of scale for its surroundings and unnecessarily larger by including at least four stories of space that is duplicative of what can be repaired and reopened at the Tony Dapolito Center across the street. It also still does not include clear guarantees of permanent affordability for its housing.
Tony Dapolito Recreation Center Must Be Repaired and Restored, Not Demolished
The City claims the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center — a century-old city, state, and national landmark — is beyond repair and shouldn’t be fixed. It’s been closed for five years and little has been done to restore it; officials are instead proposing to demolish the landmarked building. Demolishing, as has been proposed, rather than repairing and restoring the building is environmentally irresponsible, wasteful, and disrespectful of the connection generations have had to this building. Tell them to repair and restore this beloved site.
Don’t Let the State Legislature Override Landmark Protections for Religious Properties
The “Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act” sounds innocuous enough, but it would actually override landmarks safeguards for historic religious properties and zoning protections for neighborhoods. Tell state elected officials to fix the legislation so it would maintain historic protections while fostering affordable housing and helping faith-based institutions.
Stand Up Against City Plan for 600-ft.-Tall Meatpacking Tower Filled with Luxury Apartments
The Mayor has moved ahead with seeking developers to build a 600-ft.-tall tower — the tallest ever built in the area — on public land in the Meatpacking District that would include hundreds of units of super-luxury housing. Urge City leaders to eliminate all market-rate housing from the project and reduce in the tower’s height by 50-75%.
Protect Black History South of Union Square
The unprotected area of Union Square contains a remarkable array of sites connected to Black history — from civil rights leaders and organizations to musicians, authors, recording studios, and performance venues. The Mayor, Landmarks Preservation Commission, and local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera have all so far refused to support historic district designation of the area, resulting in an increasing number of these critical sites being lost.
No Public Subsidies for Demolishing Older Buildings
The city has announced a possible program that would provide public funds to subsidize the demolition of older buildings in our city, with the premise that it’s better to redevelop the sites than reuse the structures for new purposes, protecting both our city’s historic fabric and environment.
Support landmarking the proposed South of Union Square Historic District NOW!
The dozen blocks South of Union Square between Third and Fifth Avenues in Greenwich Village and the East Village are rich in civil rights, labor, literary and cultural history, as well as striking architecture. Our research also shows the unrivaled role the neighborhood has played as a mecca for artistic innovation, particularly in the mid-20th century when it helped shift the center of the art world from Paris to New York. This history must be preserved through landmark designation, before it is lost forever.
Save the Historic Eye and Ear Infirmary at 13th Street and Second Avenue!
The historic New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEEI) at East 13th Street and Second Avenue is in grave and imminent danger of being lost forever. Mount Sinai is seeking to close NYEEI and the entire Beth Israel hospital of which it is a part. If they do, these buildings will likely be sold off to a developer, and the historic NYEEI destroyed. Even if the hospital closure is avoided, Mount Sinai has made clear they want to close NYEEI, and will likely sell off and demolish the building. Only landmark designation can save it.
Demand the City Recognize + Preserve Our Lady of Guadalupe, NYC’s First Spanish Church
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 229-231 West 14th Street was New York City’s first church for a Spanish-speaking congregation or for congregants from the Spanish-speaking world. Unfortunately, the church is now endangered, and the City has refused to act. The City should reconsider its refusal and landmark this historic structure, before the opportunity to do so is lost.
The City Is Refusing to Take Meaningful Action to Protect Historic Buildings
The city has failed to take seriously the growing problem of people’s homes and historic buildings being damaged or destroyed by construction work, neglect, or both. Time and again we’ve seen serious damage resulting from work on the city’s watch, not only failing to prevent these tragedies but also excusing and legalizing them, refusing to appropriately penalize them, and allowing the dangerous conditions to occur that lead to them.
Recognize and Protect LGBTQ+ Landmarks South of Union Square
There is a rich array of sites connected to LGBTQ+ history in the area of Greenwich Village and the East Village South of Union Square that lack landmark protections. As a result, these enormously important historic sites are vulnerable to compromise or demolition, and more are being lost every day. Send a message that we must protect or support protections for this incredibly important and underrepresented history
Remarkable Film History Is One More Reason to Landmark South of Union Square
The incredibly important role the area of Greenwich Village and the East Village South of Union Square has played in over a century of the development of the film industry is just one more reason this endangered historic area needs and deserves landmark protection.
Preserve + Protect Women’s History Landmarks South of Union Square
Recognize and protect more than 20 women’s history sites South of Union Square and support designation of the area as a historic district as proposed by Village Preservation.
Save the Merchant’s House Museum
Proposed construction next door to the Merchant’s House Museum could do grave damage to this historic and vital public resource. No construction should be allowed at 27 East 4th Street that would leave the museum damaged or prevent public access to or enjoyment of this beloved institution.
Recognize and Preserve Black History Landmarks
Village Preservation has been waging campaigns to seek landmark designation for key Black history sites in Greenwich Village and the East Village that are unprotected and vulnerable to demolition. These sites represent the rich array of African American history in our neighborhoods over the last 200 years, from battles for abolition, civil rights, and voting rights, to vibrant cultural, literary, artistic, and musical movements. Much of this history has been overlooked, ignored, or undervalued.
New York’s Diverse Histories Are Endangered and Require Landmark Protections, On and Off 14th Street
Village Preservation is fighting to secure landmark protections for an array of sites on and just off 14th Street that represent so much about the diverse histories of New York City. Several are imminently endangered. And all have been proposed for landmark designation by Village Preservation, but the city has so far failed to act.
Save Theatre 80 and 78-80 St. Mark’s Place!
Now that Theatre 80 and the buildings in which it’s located at 78-80 St. Mark’s Place have been sold at auction, the City MUST step up to ensure this vital cultural institution and New York City landmark is preserved.
The City’s Plan to Save Landmarked Buildings from Destruction Needs Teeth and Specifics to Back It Up
The city’s recently released plan to address the destruction of landmarked properties on its watch says a lot of the right things, but doesn’t offer many specifics about how it will get there. Urge the Mayor, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the Department of Buildings to add teeth to their plan so that it can actually protect the historic structures that are now or will be endangered.
Stop the Siting of Oversized and Unnecessary 5G Towers in Our Neighborhood
Demand the City rethink its program to place ungainly, 32-ft.-tall Link NYC 5G towers in our community; consider impacts upon landmarks and historic districts; allow for true public review and input; and stop the installation of huge concentrations of these towers in areas where they are clearly not needed and would have unmitigated negative impacts.
With Julius’ Landmarked, City Must Protect Other Civil Rights and Social Justice Sites
The city just landmarked Julius’ Bar at 159 West 10th Street after a 10-year campaign by Village Preservation. The action should be commended, but there are still many more historic sites connected to the struggles and histories of LGBTQ+ people, African Americans, women, people with disabilities, and many others that need landmark protection.
Preserve one of NY’s “Seven to Save” — Landmark #SouthOfUnionSquare NOW!
The proposed South of Union Square Historic District has been named one of New York State’s “Seven to Save” — one of the seven most important endangered historic sites in all of New York State. Tell our city’s leaders — via email, tweet, or both — that they need to act immediately and support landmark designation of this area.
Urge City Officials to deliver on their ‘Equity Framework’ and landmark 285-287 East 3rd Street
Tell the Landmarks Preservation Commission to take immediate action in honoring the legacy of Steve Cannon with 285-287 East 3rd Street’s designation as a landmark.