The preservation community was recently disappointed by two city council members who proved they were only fair weather friends of historic preservation. Selling out preservation and knowing better were Council Members Margaret Chin and Brad Lander. Reversing her earlier pro-preservation position on saving 135 Bowery, Council Member Chin condemned this 1817 row house to the rubble heap. Having been designated a landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the designation was rejected by the City Council based on the time-honored tradition of that institution–bowing to the wishes of the local Council Member when it comes to land use issues. Chin was willing to see this almost 200 year old survivor of old New York destroyed for the temporal promise of retail and office space at below-market rates. Sad but true that in 2011 the fate of a landmark in New York City rests in the hands of one person—if that person is the City Council member in whose district the unfortunate landmark resides.

Chair of the Landmarks Subcommittee Council Member Brad Lander went along with this travesty. He certainly knows better. Honoring such bad behavior by a city council member is not what leadership is all about. What a disappointment! It is time for the City Council to step up and change its ways.

We’re happy to report that one Council Member had the courage to do the right thing—Bravo to Council Member Rosie Mendez! May her courage and leadership inspire others.

In case you didn’t hear:

On Tuesday, the NY State Appellate Court rejected Vornado and the City of New York’s motion to stay the proceedings in State Supreme Court and denied their interim challenge to have the matters of laches and standing reheard (and possibly reversed) at the appellate level.

This decision is expected have far-reaching positive consequences for the cause of historic preservation in NY State (and may even establish a precedent nationally).

Congratulations to our attorneys Michael Gruen and Albert Butzel!

For More Information:

Manny Hanny & SEQR Together Again [The Architect's Newspaper ]

Attempt to Block Landmarks Remodeling May Go Forward [NY Law Journal] (.pdf)

The Coalition to Save MHT, under the aegis of the Citizens Emergency
Committee for the Preservation of Preservation (CECPP) has been added to this upcoming public forum:

Living With History: Restoring, Redesigning, and Reviving New York’s Landmark Interiors
Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 9:30 AM to 1 PM at The Museum of the City of New York. Co-sponsored by The New York School of Interior Design.

Carol Krinsky, Professor of Art History at NYU, author of: Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore Owings & Merrill (1988), will speak for the Coalition on the former Manufacturers Trust Building and the impact of the controversial alterations upon the designated landmark interior.

Frank Mahon, Senior Designer of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, was scheduled to speak on retrofitting the International Style Manufacturers Hanover Trust building on Fifth Avenue for retail use, but unfortunately, SOM has decided to withdraw from the program.

The event flyer from the museum, which contains a numeric code which can be applied for a ten-dollar discount to the event, can be downloaded here.

To register, click here.

The Museum of the City of New York is located at 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street. For more information on the museum and its public programs, go to mcny.org.

Please reserve early. The event is expected to sell out.

We hope to see you there!

Things are heating up!

Last week, Forbes.com picked up on the close, cozy relationship between the Landmarks Preservation Commission and Vornado in the Manufacturers Hanover Trust case. Of particular interest in this piece is the demonstrated lack of consistancy and deference to precedents when ruling on landmark designations and property modifications.

Preservationists Accuse NYC Landmarks Commission of Favoritism [Forbes.com]

Also:

Moot Fate? [The Architects Newspaper]