NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

November/December Newsletter 2023

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

November/December 2023 Newsletter

Inside This Issue

LPC’s Accomplishments in 2023

Commemorating a Burial Ground for Enslaved People in the Bronx

LPC Designates Two Modern Buildings as Individual Landmarks

Honoring Joan K. Davidson at the Gracie Mansion Conservancy Gala

Celebrating 30 Years at Ward’s Point Archaeological Site

LPC in the Community

Looking Ahead

In Case You Missed It: LPC in the News

The Latest from City Hall

LPC’s Accomplishments in 2023

What a year! LPC celebrated the end of 2023 with a look back at the year’s accomplishments, including Bushwick’s first historic district and 10 new individual landmarks, of which four are located in the Bronx and five are associated with Black history in New York City.

2023’s notable achievements also include new LPC rules approved in July to support key agency business initiatives and help advance the city’s environmental sustainability goals. The amendments streamline the permit process for business and homeowners seeking approval for specific types of work, including building updates that would improve the climate resiliency and sustainability of landmarked properties.

You can read more about LPC’s accomplishments in 2023 here

Commemorating a Burial Ground for Enslaved People in the Bronx

On December 12th, LPC voted unanimously to designate Joseph Rodman Drake Park and Enslaved People’s Burial Ground in Hunts Point as an individual landmark.

Originally created as a memorial to local poet Joseph Rodman Drake and a cemetery for the Bronx’s colonial-era landowners, the site also includes a second burial ground believed to contain the remains of people enslaved by these families, which remained unmarked until recent years.

The site was identified as a designation priority as part of a recent comprehensive borough-wide survey update of the Bronx – and reflects the Commission’s ongoing commitment to ensuring diversity and inclusion in designations as part of its Equity Framework.

Learn more about this important designated site here.

LPC Designates Two Modern Buildings as Individual Landmarks

The Barkin, Levin & Company Office Pavilion

The Modulightor Building

The Commission kept busy right up until the end of year, voting at its December 19th public meeting to approve two modern buildings as New York City’s newest individual landmarks, designations which showcase the range of innovative modern design that can be found all across our city.

The Barkin, Levin & Company Office Pavilion in Queens, a mid-century modern commercial building from architect Ulrich Franzen

The Modulightor Building in East Midtown, Manhattan, designed in the late-modern style by architect Paul Rudolph

You can learn more about the two new landmarks here.

Honoring Joan K. Davidson at the Gracie Mansion Conservancy Gala

On November 16th, LPC Chair Sarah Carroll joined Mayor Eric Adams to honor the contributions of Joan Davidson at this year’s Gracie Mansion Conservancy Gala, unveiling a plaque naming a section of the mayoral residence as the Joan K. Davidson Connector – a fitting tribute for one of the city’s most influential voices in support of preservation, known for bringing together people from all walks of life in support of the projects she believed in.

Joan Davidson served as the founding chair of the Gracie Mansion Conservancy and was instrumental in the renovation and restoration of the “People’s House” during the 1980s, ensuring Gracie Mansion would be preserved for generations to come.

Celebrating 30 Years at Ward’s Point Archaeological Site

LPC’s Director of Special Projects and Strategic Planning Timothy Frye speaks to event attendees

On November 16th, LPC’s Director of Special Projects and Strategic Planning Timothy Frye joined representatives from the Delaware Tribe of Indians and the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans as well as members of the local community for a special ceremony in honor of the 30th anniversary of Ward’s Point Archaeological Site in Staten Island, part of which is designated as individual landmark Aakawaxung Munahanung (Island Protected from the Wind) Archaeological Site.

The event featured a Tribal blessing at Burial Ridge and a tour of the designation site. Many thanks to the New York City Parks Department, the Conference House Association, and the Tottenville Historical Society for sponsoring this moving event.

LPC in the Community

Meeting with Bronx’s Friends of Aqueduct Walk

On November 2nd, LPC staff joined members of the Friends of the Aqueduct Walk community group to discuss the designation process and answer questions ahead of the November 14th public hearing on the proposed designation of Bronx’s Old Croton Aqueduct Walk as a scenic landmark. New York City Parks Bronx Borough Commissioner Jessenia Aponte was also on hand for the meeting, as were representatives from Partnership for Parks. It was a great evening full of thoughtful discussion and engaging questions – our thanks to the University Heights Presbyterian Church for hosting.

Celebrating 125 Years of The Hotel Martinique

On November 15th, LPC Executive Director Lisa Kersavage spoke at an event commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Hotel Martinique. The hotel was designed by renowned architect Henry Hardenbergh, who created some of the city’s most legendary hotels, including the original Waldorf and Astoria, and its construction signaled the rise of the Greeley Square near Broadway and 33rd Street as one of the city’s entertainment and shopping centers at the turn of the century.

The Hotel Martinique was designated as an individual landmark in 1998 and the Commission recently approved an application to restore the façade, install a new marquee, and modernize the ground floor to welcome new businesses to the space. That work is ongoing, and LPC is pleased to support business growth in Midtown and places like Hotel Martinique that serve as symbol of New York City’s continued vibrancy and economic vitality in the years to come.

Engaging with New York City's Faith Leaders

(L-R): Director of the Sacred Sites Program at New York Landmarks Conservancy Ann Friedman; LPC Director of Research Kate Lemos McHale; Chelsea Towers, Survey Coordinator for New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation; Kathy Howe, Survey & National Register Coordinator for New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation; Save Harlem Now! Executive Director Claudette Brady; New York State Senator Cordell Cleare

On November 16th, LPC’s Director of Research Kate Lemos McHale and Deputy Director of Preservation Caroline Kane Levy joined representatives from the mayor’s office and the New York State attorney general’s office, the Department of Buildings (DOB), the Department of City Planning (DCP), and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for a forum with New York City’s faith leaders to discuss historic religious buildings and answer questions about the designation process.

The event was hosted by New York State Senator Cordell Cleare, and brought together city and state agencies, faith leaders, and representatives from local community organizations – a wonderful way to build connections and exchange ideas and information on this important topic.

Connecting with Brooklyn’s Community Boards

On November 16th, LPC staff joined Brooklyn Community Board members from across the borough for an informational virtual meeting, answering questions on a range of topics, including permit application review and resolution writing. LPC’s staffers also took attendees through LPC’s range of digital tools that can make it easier for Community Boards (and members of the public) to find information on the designated buildings and sites in their districts.

Educational sessions like these reflect LPC’s commitment to community outreach, strengthening communication and collaboration with local communities and increasing transparency across all aspects of the Commission’s work.

Interested in scheduling an informational presentation for your local neighborhood group or Community Board? Please email LPC’s Director of Community and Intergovernmental Affairs Steven Thompson at sthompson@lpc.nyc.gov.

Discussing Housing and Development with Faith-Based Organizations

On December 6th, LPC’s General Counsel Mark Silberman spoke at a faith-based housing and development forum hosted by the office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James. It was a great opportunity to talk about the critical role New York City’s designated landmarks can play as the city takes bold steps to create more housing, and connect with some of the faith-based organizations who are partnering with the city to work towards that shared goal.

Using Data to Help Preserve and Protect New York City’s Landmark Buildings and Sites

LPC’s Senior Data and GIS Analyst Daniel Watts speaks to conference attendees (Photo courtesy of Lucrecia O’Har)

On December 14th, LPC’s Senior Data and GIS Analyst Daniel Watts was a featured panelist at this year’s Esri Mid-Atlantic Conference, speaking to industry leaders about the innovative ways LPC is using data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to make the agency’s work more efficient, transparent, and accessible – from streamlining the permitting process to awarding grants and helping make it easy for New Yorkers to get in-depth info about the designated buildings and sites across all five boroughs.

Want to see more? Check out our interactive Discover NYC Landmarks map to see LPC’s data innovation work in action.

Looking Ahead

2024 is shaping up to be a busy year for LPC: in addition to the three sites designated as New York City landmarks during the final months of 2023, the Commission also voted to calendar or held public hearings on several sites being considered as potential landmarks:

Bronx: New York Public Library, Tremont Branch

Bronx: Old Croton Aqueduct Walk

Manhattan: Heckscher Building (now the Crown Building)

Manhattan: 1 Wall Street Banking Room Interior (also known as the Red Room)

Once dates have been set for the next public hearings/meetings for these proposed landmarks, that information will be posted on the hearings page of LPC’s website.

In Case You Missed It: LPC in the News

Most landmark buildings in NYC are in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The city is trying to diversify.

Gothamist, December 31

LPC Boosts Equity, Climate Resilience, And Economic Growth In 2023

Harlem World, December 21

Modernist structures by Paul Rudolph and Ulrich Franzen are New York City’s newest landmarks

The Architect’s Newspaper, December 21

Commission unanimously votes on landmark designation in Hunts Point

Bronx Times, December 15

30 Rock opens new rooftop ride ‘The Beam’ recreating iconic construction photo

6sqft, December 1

The Latest from City Hall

In December, the Adams administration announced plans for a “Green Fast Track,” the next phase of the administration’s “Get Stuff Built” initiative that would address two of New York City’s most critical needs – more housing and increased climate resilience – by making it easier and faster to build small-to-medium sized green homes. The plan would streamline the environmental review for types of homes identified by city planning and environmental experts as having no environmental impact, including houses that use all-electric heating and those located outside of vulnerable coastal areas. Under the proposal, LPC would continue to oversee all buildings and sites located in historic districts.

Looking to learn more? Click here for more information about the Adams administration’s “Green Fast Track” plan.

This is the NYC.gov news you requested for:

Landmarks Preservation Commission News

Unsubscribe | Preferences | Comments

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE!