New corner building will use reclaimed brick from the demolished structure to the extent possible and appear largely as the demolished building did circa 1940. On September 13, 2016, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve the demolition of the building at 327 Bleecker Street in the Greenwich Village Historic District. The deteriorated and unstable building on the corner lot, which dates to the 1830s, will be replaced with a structure that would reflect … <Read More>
John Weiss
Landmarks’ John Weiss on Combating Demolition-by-Neglect
John Weiss has served as deputy counsel for the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission since 2001. Weiss leads Landmarks’ efforts to protect landmarked structures from demolition-by-neglect, and each of his cases reveals a fascinating tale of New York City real estate.
After earning his undergraduate degree in political science and public policy from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, Weiss was torn between studying law or architecture. He took time off while at Hampshire to … <Read More>
Demolition of Leaning SoHo Building Approved
Owner will store cast-iron facade after damaged building is demolished. On September 22, 2009, Landmarks approved SoHo Equities Inc.’s application to demolish a George DaCunha-designed five-story loft building at 74 Grand Street, in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. According to Landmarks Deputy Counsel John Weiss, for many decades 74 Grand Street’s five-story building leaned approximately 10 inches to the west. In 2004, as a result of excavation and construction work at the neighboring site at … <Read More>