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>


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>


4-story addition approved for Tribeca, design praised

Architect of pre-designation renovations also chosen to design new residential addition. On October 14, 2008, Landmarks voted to approve the construction of a four-story addition with a penthouse to the two-story structure at 172 Duane Street in the Tribeca West Historic District. The site was originally home to an 1872 store-and-loft building, used for a wood importing business.

More recently, in the 1980s, owners of 172 Duane hired architect Vincenzo Polsinelli and undertook extensive renovations, … <Read More>


Andrew Dolkart: Teacher, Author, Advocate

When Andrew Dolkart, Director of Historic Preservation at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, was asked to characterize what it means to be a historic preservationist, he found the question difficult to answer. Upon further reflection, Dolkart described it as “a varied field” based on a value system that “honors the physical fabric of our communities.” Originally intending to pursue a PhD in art history, Dolkart turned to historic preservation, spurred by … <Read More>


Garage demolition, new residential loft building approved

Morris Adjmi design wins praise from Commissioners. On September 9, 2008, Landmarks heard testimony on three applications for certificates of appropriateness with respect to adjacent properties at 414-422 Greenwich Street and 401-411 Washington Street in the Tribeca North Historic District. The applications propose the demolition of a 1956 garage, the construction of a new six-story building with a penthouse, and a penthouse addition to an existing 1906 loft building adjacent to the garage.

Architectural historian … <Read More>


Queens car rental agency wins zoning change

Council approves Commission modification demapping two street portions but not a third. On September 24, 2008, the City Council approved GTJ Co., Inc.’s plan, as modified by the City Planning Commission, to rezone its property from C4-2 and R3-2 to C4-1, and demap portions of abutting mapped streets.

GTJ owns Lot 34 of Block 1082 and the entirety of Block 1083, where it operates a Budget Rent-a- Car business. The property is roughly bounded by … <Read More>