19th century Bed-Stuy development designated

Alice and Agate Courts Historic District, Brooklyn. Courtesy of New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Designation endorsed by local Council Member, residents. On February 10, 2009, Landmarks voted to designate Alice and Agate Courts in Bedford- Stuyvesant, Brooklyn as a historic district. Alice and Agate Courts, two cul-de-sacs off Atlantic Avenue between Kingston and Albany Avenues, contain 36 Queen Annestyle rowhouses that were developed by Florian Grosjean in 1888 – 1889.

Designed by local architect … <Read More>


Two Trees development near Clinton Park questioned

Two Trees’ proposed development near Clinton Park. Image: Two Trees Management.

CB4 opposed to height and floor area of proposed “Z” shaped building. On February 4, 2009, the City Planning Commission heard testimony on Two Trees Management Co.’s plan to build a 1.3 million sq.ft. “Z” shaped tower at 770 Eleventh Avenue in Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan. The Enrique Norten-designed tower would rise in steps from approximately seven stories at Eleventh Avenue and 54th Street to … <Read More>


Widespread support for proposed Queens district

Ridgewood North Historic District. Image: LPC.

Early 20th-century development in Ridgewood served as home to German community. On December 16, 2008, Landmarks held a hearing on the potential designation of a historic district in Ridgewood, Queens. The district would encompass 91 buildings built between 1908 and 1911 by developer Gustave Mathews and local architect Louis Allmendinger. Constructed by local craftsmen, the Renaissance and Romanesque Revival four-story apartment buildings, which characterize the district, feature yellow brick … <Read More>


Council Member Jessica Lappin on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Site Safety

Council Member Jessica Lappin represents Community District 5 in Manhattan, which includes parts of Midtown and the Upper East Side. She also chairs the Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime Uses. A New York native and graduate of Stuyvesant High School and Georgetown University, Lappin was raised in a landmarked house in Gramercy Park. Well-regarded by preservation advocates, she has garnered accolades from the Friends of the Upper East Side and the Historic … <Read More>


NYU towers landmarked

University Village. Image: LPC.

NYU’s development plans for remaining portion of the site unaddressed. On November 18, 2008, Landmarks voted to collectively designate University Village, also known as the Silver Towers, as an individual City landmark. Designed by James Freed and I.M. Pei, of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP, the landmark consists of a central plaza and three 30-story towers with concrete facades and recessed windows in a “brutalist” style influenced by le … <Read More>


Commission Approves a Modified Willets Point Plan

 

Eminent domain supported if negotiations with local businesses fail. On September 24, 2008, the City Planning Commission approved a modified version of the Willets Point Redevelopment Plan, and sent the contentious plan to the City Council. EDC’s plan calls for the creation of the Special Willets Point District, an Urban Renewal Area designation, and a rezoning for the 61-acre area known as the “Iron Triangle” in Queens. 5 CityLand 57 (May 15, 2008).

The … <Read More>