Summer 2019

Inside This Issue

• Greetings from the Chair
• New on the Commission's Calendar
  • Five Historic Properties in Gowanus Proposed for Consideration as Individual Landmarks
• New Designations
  • LPC Designates the First Historic District in Bay Ridge
  • Sunset Park Now Has Four Historic Districts
  • LPC Designates Six Individual Landmarks with LGBT Associations
  • LPC Designates 7 Broadway Buildings South of Union Square as Individual Landmarks
  • LPC Designates Two Individual Landmarks in Yorkville
• Executive Changes
  • Lisa Kersavage is now LPC's Executive Director
  • Cory Herrala is now LPC's Director of Preservation
  • Timothy Frye is LPC's New Director of Special Projects and Strategic Planning
• LPC Staff Recognized by the Victorian Society of New York
• New Resource for Storefront Owners
• Two Historic Districts Turn 50

As you'll learn in this issue, the Commission has prioritized designations of places that reflect New York City's diversity, that make New York City distinctive and that help connect us to the past. In June, LPC designated six individual landmarks that tell the stories of the LGBT community's early fight for equality and its impact on the arts and culture, the city and the nation (see LPC Designates Six Individual Landmarks Important to LGBT History below). Our new historic districts in Sunset Park-the first in this Brooklyn neighborhood- reflect the diverse history and development of a middle-class neighborhood closely connected to the industrial waterfront (see LPC Designates Four Historic Districts in Sunset Park below).

As we designate buildings, I am mindful of the importance of developing an efficient, accessible and accountable regulatory process. During Fiscal 2019, LPC received more than 14,000 applications for work and issued nearly as many permits, with 95 percent issued by staff in more a streamlined manner. In addition to finding efficiency within our application process, I am working to make the regulatory experience more accessible. We recently released a guide to help business owners get faster approval of their permits for new storefronts, and are currently working on new tools that will be launched in the coming months to make it easier for property owners and tenants to apply and get a permit.

The success of preservation depends on a successful partnership between property owners and LPC, and those partnerships are important to me, and require a balanced and fair approach and an efficient process. My goal is not only to ensure these significant buildings and sites are protected but also able to adapt to meet modern needs and remain viable long into the future. I look forward to continuing to work with all of our stakeholders to ensure preservation remains an integral part of New York City.

Wishing you all the best,

Sarah Carroll

Five Historic Properties in Gowanus Proposed for Consideration as Individual Landmarks

On June 25, 2019, the Commission unanimously voted to calendar 5 properties in Gowanus for consideration as individual landmarks: the Gowanus Flushing Tunnel Pumping Station and Gate House at 196 Butler Street; the Somers Brothers Tinware Factory (later American Can Company) at 238-246 3rd Street; the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) Central Power Station Engine House at 153 2nd Street; the Montauk Paint Manufacturing Company Building at 170 2nd Avenue; and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Rogers Memorial Building at 233 Butler Street. These architecturally significant properties stand out in the neighborhood as tangible reminders of the history of the canal itself and to the industry and manufacturing that grew up around it in the late-19th and early-20th century.

Calendaring is the first formal step in the designation process. Once calendared, LPC will hold a public hearing on the proposed designations at a future date, followed by a public meeting during which the Commission will vote on the designation.

On June 25, 2019, the Commission voted to designate the Bay Ridge Parkway - Doctors' Row Historic District, the first in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bay Ridge. This block of 54 row houses on Bay Ridge Parkway between 4th and 5th Avenues is a distinguished example of its largely intact early-20th century architecture and historically significant as a "doctors' row". The block still looks very much as it did in the first decade of the 20th century and continues to be a hub for people in the medical profession. Read more about the designation here.

On June 18, 2019, the Commission designated four historic districts in Sunset Park, Brooklyn: Sunset Park North, Central Sunset Park, Sunset Park 50th Street, and Sunset Park South. These four areas contain the most cohesive and intact concentrations of high quality architecture in Sunset Park, representing its primary periods of development. The Sunset Park South and 50th Street historic districts include strong collections of primarily late-19th century row houses; the Central Sunset Park historic district includes some of the neighborhood's finest houses from the turn of the 20th century, and the Sunset Park North historic district contains strong rows of early 20th century houses and apartment houses. Read more about the designation here.

On June 18, 2019, the Commission designated six buildings associated with the history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community as individual landmarks: The Caffe Cino at 31 Cornelia Street, Manhattan; the Gay Activists Alliance Firehouse at 99 Wooster Street, Manhattan; the Women's Liberation Center at 243 West 20th Street, Manhattan; The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center at 208 West 13th Street, Manhattan; the James Baldwin Residence at 137 West 71st Street, Manhattan; and the Audre Lorde Residence at 207 St. Paul's Avenue, Staten Island. These places were associated with groups and individuals that helped move forward the LGBT civil rights movement by creating political and community support structures, and by bringing LGBT cultural expression into the public realm. Read more about the designation here.

On June 11, 2019, the Commission designated 7 historic buildings on Broadway south of Union Square as individual landmarks: 817 Broadway, 826 Broadway, 830 Broadway, 832-834 Broadway, 836 Broadway, 840 Broadway, and 841 Broadway. These historic buildings located between East 12th and East 14th streets represent an important era in Broadway's history and recognize the significant contributions that these late-19th century commercial structures made to the area's architectural and historic character. Read more about the designation here.

On June 11, 2019, the Commission also designated two historic buildings in the Upper East Side's Yorkville neighborhood as individual landmarks: the First Hungarian Reformed Church of New York at 346 East 69th Street and the National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York Headquarters, at 215 East 71st Street. The First Hungarian Reformed Church of New York is an exceptional cultural and architectural reminder of the early 20th-century Hungarian-American community in Yorkville. The National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York Headquarters is a remarkable Georgian Revival style mansion that reflects our nation's colonial history and heritage. Read more about the designation here.

We are delighted to announce some changes in our executive team.

Lisa Kersavage is now LPC's Executive Director

Lisa Kersavage was appointed as Executive Director. She had been serving as LPC's Director of Special Projects and Strategic Planning since 2016. During her tenure at LPC, she led two important initiatives, the East Midtown Initiative resulting in 12 designations and the Backlog Initiative, resulting in the designation of 27 landmarks that had been on the Commission's calendar for decades. She also oversaw and launched special research projects to support the agency's work, including the Historic Data Project and the Discover NYC Landmarks map. Lisa holds a M.S. in historic preservation, with an urban planning focus, from Columbia University and a B.A. in art history from Penn State University. With over twenty years in the field of preservation and planning, she brings exceptional experience in preservation and planning to her new role.

Cory Herrala is now LPC's Director of Preservation

Cory Herrala was appointed as the new Director of Preservation. He had been serving as Acting Director of Preservation since last October, and prior to that, served as First Deputy Director of Preservation, leading the department's preservation policies. Cory has Master's degrees in both architecture and historic preservation and his expertise has been an asset to the agency for the last 12 years. He initiated the department's sustainability/resiliency committee and helped raise awareness on how preservation can successfully engage green building practices. Cory also helped draft the recent rules amendments, a multi-year effort that required deep understanding of preservation practices and LPC regulatory history and rigorous analysis. His commitment to the agency, leadership and skills are an asset to this department's important work and to the agency's mission.

Timothy Frye is LPC's New Director of Special Projects and Strategic Planning

LPC welcomed Timothy Frye as LPC's Director of Special Projects and Strategic Planning. Prior to joining the agency, Tim served as the Historic Preservation Officer for the City and County of San Francisco from 2010 to 2019 managing the Historic Preservation Commission's work program and the San Francisco Planning Department Preservation Team. Tim began his career as a Preservation Planner with the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, and holds a M.S. in Historic Preservation from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a B.A. in Public Policy from DePaul University. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer in the M.A. in Historic Preservation Program at Goucher College, and a National Alliance of Preservation Commissions board member. His impressive body of work and experience in San Francisco will be especially valuable, as LPC looks at new designation initiatives.

On May 20, 2019, The Victorian Society of New York presented the 2019 Preservation Award to LPC's Preservation staff for their dedication and commitment to preservation. The award was presented during their Annual Meeting, which this year, featured a celebration of Queen Victoria's 200th birthday. Chair Sarah Carroll, who accepted the award on behalf of LPC, thanked the VSA and congratulated staff on this well-deserved award.

"We know that you work incredibly hard shaping both designations and applications and your contribution to the city's built environment is evident throughout the city," said Chair Carroll.

On May 6, 2019, LPC released Guidelines for Storefront Design in Historic Districts to help business owners, as well as property owners understand LPC's rules and regulations for new storefronts in historic districts so that they can make good design decisions that meet LPC requirements and get faster approval of their permit. The guidelines explain and illustrate LPC's criteria for staff to review and approve permit applications for proposed new storefronts in historic districts. They are meant for everyone who has a role in the design and construction of new storefronts in historic districts, from building owners and business owners to architects and contractors. Read the announcement here.

Two historic districts recently turned 50: the Mott Haven Historic District and the Greenwich Village Historic District. LPC was a part of the celebrations.

On July 29, 2019, LPC's Executive Director Lisa Kersavage joined the Mott Haven Historic Districts Association and the Historic Districts Council to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its designation the New York Public Library's Mot Haven Branch, a prominent building within the district. Recognized for its architectural and historic significance, this was the first historic district in the Bronx, and while the area has changed a lot since it was designated, it still has that special character and sense of place for the community today.

On April 13, 2019, Lisa joined the Greenwich Village Society of Historic Preservation in its celebration of the 50th anniversary of the historic district at Washington Square Park, where she spoke about its unique qualities and the process it took to designate it. LPC also released Fifty years in the Greenwich Village Historic District, an interactive story map that illustrates how the district was created and how LPC regulation has guided the protection and enhancement of its special character over the past 50 years. Read the announcement here.