the ANTHEMION, newsletter of the Summer 2013 Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

VICTORY–South Village But that legacy has been threatened by real designation, GVSHP documented the history estate development and encroachments by of every one of more than 750 buildings in the Landmarking to NYU, and in recent years we have seen more proposed historic district, and commissioned Move Ahead! and more of the neighborhood’s distinctive an 82-page report by noted historian Andrew and historic character lost to demolitions and Dolkart arguing for the significance of the area Phase II To Be Approved By December, alterations. and the merits of designation. Includes Additional Sites GVSHP Fought For GVSHP has waged a concerted advocacy In 2010, the City finally landmarked “phase I” The Society scored two major preservation of our proposed district, most of the area north campaign to landmark this area, including victories this spring. In March, our advocacy of Houston Street and west of Sixth Avenue. led to a commitment by the City to Though they promised to follow hear and vote upon “phase II” of closely with a second phase, they our proposed South Village Historic continuously failed to act, even District before the end of the year. as building after building in the In May, we helped secure expansion proposed district was threatened or destroyed. of the proposed district to include an additional thirteen buildings we Then in 2011 the City agreed to fought hard to protect, including a consider a developer’s proposal row of ten 1840’s houses adjacent to rezone the neighboring Hudson to MacDougal Sullivan Gardens, Square district to allow increased and two low-rise, contextual NYU development in that area. This buildings which, without landmark meant the City was ignoring its protections, could be replaced by a commitment to consider the 300 ft. tall tower. community-requested landmark designation of the South Village while moving ahead with a GVSHP has been fighting for more The corner of Minetta Lane and MacDougal Street, within the new proposed than ten years to get the entire South Village Historic District. developer’s proposal for increased South Village landmarked. One of development next door. GVSHP was quick to point out the inequity, and the most historically rich parts of New York phone, e-mail, and letter-writing campaigns that the Hudson Square rezoning would also City, the South Village’s charming low-rise targeting city officials, demonstrations greatly increase development pressure upon architecture tells the story of decades of and press conferences, a video campaign, the South Village, accelerating its destruction if immigrant struggle and success, as well as and endorsements from local, state, and no landmark protections were offered. unparalleled literary, musical, and cultural national groups for our landmark proposal. invention and innovation. To help bolster our argument for landmark continued on page 54

1 Hudson Square Instead, they promised to residential development Rezoning Approved By support a rezoning of the were to be introduced in area to prevent further the area, the height and City, City Council similar development, size of allowable new and to ‘clarify’ the Plan Mostly Benefits Developers, development should be zoning so definitions of Doesn’t Deliver on Trump SoHo Promises significantly decreased hotels, residences, and and kept in context with Earlier this year, the Hudson Square Rezoning residential hotels would the neighborhood. was approved by Borough President Stringer, be updated and improved. the City Planning Commission, and the City While the new zoning Council. While the rezoning deal included some Unfortunately, the did include some new commitments to extend landmark protections Hudson Square Rezoning height restrictions, it also in the South Village which GVSHP fought hard to these officials approved, explicitly authorized a which was supposed achieve (see story p.1), the rezoning itself was a new Trump SoHo-sized to deliver on these mixed bag which mostly benefitted developers, development at Duarte promises, included no and failed to deliver fully upon promises by city Square at the southern such clarifications. And officials to prevent overdevelopment of the area end of Hudson Square. while it contained some in the wake of their approval of the Trump SoHo And while the new height improvements in the “Condo-Hotel.” limits were lower than zoning for the area, it what was allowed under In 2006, GVSHP opposed construction of the fell far short of what was Trump SoHo in Hudson Square. While the promised, and made The rezoning failed to deliver on promises to the old zoning, at as high prevent more Trump SoHo’s. area’s zoning allowed new development of the some problems worse. as 290 feet, they were enormous size and height of the planned tower, still significantly higher it prohibited new residential or ‘residential The rezoning for the first time allows than most of the handsome loft buildings hotel’ construction, which residential development in Hudson Square. which characterize the area, which seldom the “condo-hotel” hybrid While GVSHP does not exceed about 200 feet in height. clearly was. GVSHP fought oppose residential uses vociferously against the in Hudson Square, due to Adding insult to injury, while city officials for project, but ultimately it was the extreme desirability years disputed our argument that the Trump given permits by the City, with and profitability of SoHo was a residential development and the support of City Council residential development therefore illegal, GVSHP discovered that the Speaker Quinn and Borough in Manhattan, this new City’s own records, data, and environmental President Stringer. They allowance necessarily analyses of the area categorized the Trump argued that the development means significantly SoHo as a residence. When GVSHP brought was allowed by the zoning increased development this to the attention of city officials, they because it was a “transient” in an area already responded with dead silence—even when or traditional hotel, in which suffering from some of media inquiries found that there was no guests did not live there but the worst traffic in the evidence that any of their promised monitoring rather stayed for limited region, and a glaring of the Trump SoHo for compliance with the periods of time. They were lack of infrastructure zoning ever occurred. unconvinced by Trump’s such as recreational own ads proclaiming the Map of Hudson Square Rezoning space. GVSHP argued For more information, see gvshp.org/hudsq development a “residence.” boundaries. that if incredibly lucrative and /trump.

2 East Village and replace it with a huge dorm, at one time century, and included among its worshipers Preservation Roundup proposing a 23-story high-rise. In 2005 the Sara Delano Roosevelt and Dorothy Day. Its building was landmarked, and the developer beautiful architecture, inspired by Italian Following Landmark and Zoning Success, tried to prevent designation by destroying the models, was immortalized by Allen Ginsberg in Preservation Threats and Progress Continue school’s architectural details and features. He several poems written during the twenty years has since let the building lay fallow and open We have made tremendous progress on he lived across the street. to the elements, deteriorating markedly. historic preservation in the East Village in Unfortunately, the City has refused our request recent years. In 2008 and 2010, we helped Now the developer is again seeking to turn the to consider landmark status for the church secure a rezoning of the entire neighborhood, building into a dorm, rather than return it to buildings to save them from demolition. We are replacing outdated zoning which encouraged a community/cultural center. GVSHP opposed now appealing to the developer to preserve the high-rise and dorm development with the landmarks application for the dorm historic structures, which could easily be done ‘contextual’ rezoning which encouraged conversion, which would require changes to lower-scale development, retention of existing by building on the much larger open yard next the exterior which we believe are inappropriate buildings, and residential rather than dormitory for the historic building. But we are also door which he also owns, while re-using these uses. In 2012 and 2013, the neighborhood’s fighting the issuance of permits for the dorm architecturally distinctive and irreplaceable one small historic district was joined by two conversion by the Department of Buildings, buildings. See gvshp.org/mhoc. much larger ones, ensuring the preservation because the plan fails to meet the strict of hundreds of the neighborhood’s most Mezritch Synagogue, 415 East 6th Street: requirements for proof of a long-term lease historically significant In 2008, GVSHP and buildings on more allies stopped a plan to than a dozen blocks. demolish this historic But we still have a lot synagogue, a mini of work to do. GVSHP architectural tour- is working with a de-force and the last coalition of groups to operating tenement propose and push for synagogue in the East expanded landmark Village, and pushed for protections. Here are landmark designation some of the other of the building. In recent preservation challenges we have 2013, it was included Old P.S. 64 (l.), GVSHP and allies rally to save Mary Help of Christians Church (m.), and Mezritch Synagogue (r.; in the new East Village/ faced: credit: Barry Munger). Lower East Side Historic Old P.S. 64, 605 E. 9th Street: GVSHP is from an accredited school before permits for a District. Now, a new plan will turn much of working with a coalition of local groups and dormitory can be issued. See gvshp.org/ps64. the building into residences while allowing elected officials to ensure the preservation of the small, financially-strapped congregation this historic building, and its return to a true Mary Help of Christians Church, 436 to continue to operate in the ground floor. community use. Built in 1906 by New York’s East 12th Street: GVSHP and a coalition of GVSHP successfully called for some changes premiere public school architect C.B.J. Snyder, groups are fighting to save this historic church, to a small proposed rooftop addition to ensure it was converted to a beloved community/ its school, and rectory from demolition by a cultural center in 1977. In 1999 the building developer. The church has been a centerpiece it was not visible and did not detract from the was purchased from the City by a developer, of immigrant life in the East Village for over a synagogue’s striking façade. See gvshp.org/ev who has continuously sought to tear it down for more info.

3 NYU Expansion by the City as public plans on the table, and was Battle Update parkland, which is for the first time being entirely helpful evidence in transparent in its planning. Court Challenge Continues As University our public parkland But just days after they Breaks Promises, Destroys History claim. The case is received their approvals from before a judge. When the Borough President, City Planning the City Council, NYU filed Commission, and City Council approved In other NYU news, its application for 726-730 NYU’s massive Village expansion plan last this spring the city Broadway—plans which were year—overturning zoning restrictions and approved a zoning never disclosed during the long-standing urban renewal agreements, and variance to allow NYU NYU’s Brittany Dorm, mid-renovation; prior public approval process. turning over public green space for university to add labs and other casement windows, which matched the neo- Additionally, several NYU development—GVSHP joined NYU faculty, uses prohibited by Gothic design, were ripped out and replaced faculty members testified that fellow community and preservation groups, zoning regulations with modern single-pane windows. All the old windows were eventually removed. the facilities NYU was planning and Assemblymember Deborah Glick in suing to the building at to locate in 726-730 Broadway to overturn the approvals. Gibson, Dunn & 726-730 Broadway were exactly the same facilities the university Crutcher LLP are now representing us in the (at Waverly Place). The project also requires case. adding a 4-story rooftop mechanical addition claimed would go into the new buildings in to the building, located in the NoHo Historic their massive expansion plan just approved by Our Article 78 Petition alleges that the District. the City, further undermining the university’s approval of the NYU plan was illegal argument. In spite of this, none of the City because it gave away public parkland GVSHP strongly opposed approvals for this Councilmembers nor the Borough President without state legislative approval, and project for several reasons. First, the large who approved the NYU expansion plan would because the government did not follow addition is totally inappropriate for the historic speak out against or oppose this zoning necessary procedures with respect to historic district. preservation, zoning requirements, deed variance. restrictions, environmental impact laws, and Secondly, however, SoHo and NoHo have Adding insult to injury, this spring NYU public meetings. unique zoning which strictly limits university uses, which has prevented these small but undertook a renovation of its Brittany Hall A number of former distinctive neighborhoods dorm at 55 East 10th Street (at Broadway), public officials have filed from being overrun by a meticulously-detailed 1929 Gothic-revival affidavits in our favor, NYU expansion over the former apartment hotel meant to harmonize including former NYC years, in spite of their close with the landmarked Grace Church across the Parks Commissioner proximity to the university’s street. NYU needlessly ripped out the multi- Henry Stern and “core.” In granting this pane casement windows and replaced them former Transportation zoning variance, the City with totally inappropriate single-pane windows Commissioner has chipped away at this which destroyed the building’s delicate rhythm Christopher Lynn. Both zoning firewall which is so and harmony. GVSHP spotted the renovation claim that the four parks essential to preserving these turned over to NYU in the neighborhoods’ character. in mid-process and called upon NYU President plan—Mercer Playground, John Sexton to preserve the building’s LaGuardia Corner Finally, when NYU sought historic architectural details. Sadly, but not Gardens, LaGuardia Park, approvals for its massive 726-730 Broadway, where NYU received a surprisingly, he refused. and the Mercer-Houston zoning variance to build labs prohibited by expansion plan, it promised Dog Run—were dedicated the zoning. that it was putting all its See gvshp.org/nyu.

4 South Village Victory continued from cover a commitment to “survey” the final phase of and architecture, and without landmarking, our proposed historic district, south of Houston each could be replaced by grossly out-of-scale GVSHP therefore led a campaign calling for the Street, before the end of the year, with no development—in the case of Vanderbilt Hall, a Hudson Square rezoning to be rejected unless commitment on a vote. This was nevertheless tower as high as 300 feet! landmark protections for the South Village were an enormous step forward, and a dramatic also approved. We helped generate thousands turnaround from the City’s prior stubborn GVSHP immediately pushed for inclusion of these of letters, e-mails, and phone calls to public resistance to any further action on landmark sites in the proposed historic district, calling officials, especially City Council Speaker designation in the South Village. upon Speaker Quinn and the City to support Quinn, who would ultimately decide the fate of expansion of the boundaries. They eventually did, the rezoning, and had the power to leverage When the City released its proposed boundaries and the sites were added to the historic district for the “phase II” landmarking, they included now officially under consideration. by far most of what we proposed for landmark

NYU’s Vanderbilt Hall (l.) and Kevorkian Center (m.), and 130-148 West Houston Street (r.), which GVSHP successfully advocated to have added to the proposed historic district.

designation, from early 19th century houses The next official step is a public hearing on to turn-of-the-century tenements; the homes the proposed district , scheduled for June of groundbreaking institutions from Little Red 25th. A final vote will likely not take place Schoolhouse to the Children’s Aid Society; before December, at which point we will find innovative 19th century reform housing out how much of the proposed district the City developments such as the former Mills House will ultimately landmark (by law the City can No. 1 at 160 Bleecker Street; and sites where shrink, but not expand, the proposed district movement on landmarking the South Village cultural innovators such as Eugene O’Neil, from the City. Such a campaign demanding that Louisa May Alcott, Jack Kerouac, Bob Dylan, boundaries when they vote). a rezoning not move ahead unless landmarking and Jimi Hendrix lived, worked, or played. GVSHP will fight to ensure that the entire also take place had never been waged before. But the proposed district excluded several sites proposed historic district is ultimately approved But with a lot of help and participation, we from GVSHP’s proposed district, including a row by the City, and none of the proposed sites are ultimately succeeded. The deal between the of ten 1840’s houses at 130-148 West Houston removed or demolished before the vote, which City Council and the City for the Hudson Square Street which were originally built in conjunction can happen. We will also continue to fight for rezoning included a commitment to “hear and with MacDougal Sullivan Gardens, as well as landmark designation of “phase III” of the South vote upon” landmark designation of “phase II” NYU’s Vanderbilt Hall Law School and Kevorkian Village, the historic but imminently endangered of our proposed South Village Historic District— Center on Washington Square South—atypically section of the neighborhood south of Houston the area north of Houston Street—before the low-rise, contextual NYU buildings which do Street, which the City has not yet committed to end of the year (though the exact boundaries an admirable job of relating to the surrounding landmark. of what the City would landmark were not park and historic neighborhood. Each of these specified). Unfortunately, the deal only included sites related to the South Village’s history For more information, see gvshp.org/sv.

5 Historic Plaque Marks Proposed Hotel at 27 E. 4th Bike Share Stations PFLAG Founding Street, Next to Merchant’s GVSHP strongly supports efforts to increase GVSHP was proud to partner with Parents, House Museum pedestrian access to public space and accommodate non-traditional, non-polluting Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays GVSHP continues to oppose the application (PFLAG), and the Church of the Village forms of transportation. Thus we were for landmarks approval to construct excited to hear that a bike share at 13th Street and 7th Avenue, for the a 9-story hotel with a glass- placement of a historic plaque to mark the program was being established in curtain façade adjacent to the New York, as has been done in founding of PFLAG at the church in 1973. landmarked Merchant’s House in Forty years ago, PFLAG founder Jeanne an increasing number of cities Museum, New York’s only around the globe. Manford, a Queens school teacher and 19th century home preserved brief mother, held the first meeting here of what on the interior and exterior. However, we have had some has come to be an international organization At a landmarks public hearing concerns about the particulars and with more than 350 chapters and 200,000 this past fall, GVSHP testified that the process for implementation, and have members in the United States alone. proposed construction could damage or urged the City to make adjustments. As a even undermine the historic preservation organization, our chief Merchant’s House, and concerns revolve around the placement, that the scale and design design, and size of these stations within of the proposed new historic districts. We believe such stations, building is inappropriate which have a significant visual presence, for the NoHo Historic should require full public review and District of which it is a approval by the Landmarks Preservation part. This Commission, as do a spring, the wide range of other Landmarks public and private Preservation projects, including Commission much street furniture. Historic plaque unveiling ceremony with representatives of GVSHP, PFLAG, reviewed We have urged the and the church; elected officials; the Manford family; and attendees of the a revised City to subject these original meeting in 1973. proposal stations to such a This plaque placement was somewhat for the new building, and process, which has so bittersweet, as Jeanne died earlier this year withheld approval pending far not taken place. at the age of 92, but her legacy lives on. further changes, citing many We are confident that GVSHP continues to document and highlight of the concerns we and others such a review would the extraordinary array of sites connected to raised. GVSHP will continue help address significant Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered to work with the museum and concerns which have (LGBT) history and the LGBT Civil Rights neighbors to fight any plan which arisen about the movement in our neighborhoods. We are could threaten the museum or stations, while ensuring also working with our partners to expand undermine the aesthetic integrity appropriate locations our historic plaque program to a variety of and scale of the NoHo Historic for their placement and sites and facets of history throughout our District. operation. neighborhoods. See gvshp.org/27e4. See gvshp.org/bike. Proposed 9-story hotel at 27 E. 4th See gvshp.org/pflag and /plaque. Street (m.), next to Merchant’s House (r.).

6 From the Director GVSHP Bulletin Board This is a wonderful time of year for GVSHP. Join our e-mail list for alerts and updates on important preservation Our Annual Benefit House Tour was our and development issues—e-mail [email protected]. most successful fundraiser ever, opening the doors to beautiful homes throughout Help the cause—Volunteer for GVSHP, or host a ‘friendraiser’, a free our neighborhood. And our Annual Village event introducing friends and neighbors to GVSHP. Go to gvshp.org/ Awards gives us an opportunity to say volunteer or gvshp.org/friendraiser. thanks to some of the people, places, businesses, and organizations that make Want to know about landmarks applications in your neighborhood? our neighborhood so special. This year’s awardees are Avignone Chemists and Visit our landmarks applications webpage, the only one of its kind in the Block Drugs, two of our neighborhood’s oldest independent businesses; the city. You can view any application in the Village, East Village, Meatpacking Bowery Alliance of Neighbors, protectors of an endangered historic slice of our District or NoHo for any proposed change to a landmarked building that requires a public hearing. You can find out when the hearings and votes neighborhood; NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan, outspoken and effective will take place, how you can weigh in and affect the outcome, and sign up critics of the university’s expansion; Jeremiah Shea, the recently retired head of for alerts about the status of the application—see gvshp.org/lpc. the 9th Precinct Community Council for two decades; and Sir Winston Churchill Square, whose volunteers make this tiny slice of green bloom brilliantly. Visit GVSHP’s blog Off the Grid for fun and fascinating glimpses into our neighborhoods’ hidden history, eye-catching architecture, and color- We have other reasons to be grateful. After many years, we’ve finally gotten ful characters—gvshp.org/blog. movement again on landmark protections for the South Village—a historic section of our neighborhood which, until just a few years ago, was entirely left out of the Planned Giving—Make a legacy gift to GVSHP. Call 212/475-9585 x39. Greenwich Village Historic District, and which faces demolition threats. After a landmarking deal between the Council and the City left out key sites from Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr: /gvshp. the proposed historic district—including potential NYU development sites—we successfully pushed to have them added back in.

Over the course of the Bloomberg Administration, GVSHP has helped secure landmark protections for nearly a thousand buildings in the West, South, and East Village and NoHo. We’ve also helped secure community-friendly contextual Board of Trustees

rezonings of more than one hundred blocks of our neighborhood to help preserve President Vice Presidents Secretary/Treasurer their character and prevent overdevelopment. Come 2014 there will be a new Art Levin Leslie Mason Katherine Schoonover administration in City Hall, and a new set of challenges. But with your help and Kate Bostock support, GVSHP will be up to the task. Shefferman

Mary Ann Arisman Justine Leguizamo Allan G. Sperling John Bacon Ruth McCoy Judith Stonehill Penelope Bareau Andrew S. Paul Fred Wistow Tom Birchard Cynthia Penney Linda Yowell Elizabeth Ely Robert Rogers F. Anthony Zunino, III Acknowledgements Cassie Glover

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation gratefully acknowledges the following for generous grants in support of our work: Staff The Kaplen Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts. Executive Director Director of Preservation Program and Andrew Berman and Research Administrative Associate Amanda Davis Ted Mineau We also wish to acknowledge the support of City Council Members Rosie Senior Director of Director of Administration Mendez and Margaret Chin, and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Operations through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Manhattan Sheryl Woodruff Drew Durniak Borough President Scott Stringer, through the Department of Education.

7 Support Preservation: Join GVSHP Your support makes GVSHP a more effective preservation leader. Contribute $500 or more, and receive an invitation to a special Name thank you event at a unique Village location. Street Yes! I support the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and its preservation work. City State ZIP m $5,000 Founder m Other $ Phone m $2,500 Benefactor m $25 Gift Membership: m $1,000 Patron Special offer for members! Email m $500 Sponsor Please put recipient’s name at right. m $250 Sustainer m I am already a member Member Name  m $100 Contributor and want to (FOR GIFT MEMBERSHIPS ONLY.) contribute $ m $75 Family/Dual GVSHP is a 501(c)(3) non profit. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest m $50 Individual m Please send information about how I may include GVSHP in my will extent of the law. or estate planning. Return this form with your check to: Greenwich Village Society for

For credit cards go to: www.gvshp.org/membership Historic Preservation, 232 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003.

PERMIT NO. 3509 NO. PERMIT

www.gvshp.org www.gvshp.org 475-9585 (212)

NEW YORK, NY YORK, NEW

PAID

232 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003 NY York, New Street, 11th East 232

U.S. POSTAGE U.S. FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION HISTORIC FOR

ORG. NONPROFIT GREENWICH VILLAGE SOCIETY SOCIETY VILLAGE GREENWICH

8