New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Totally Explained

Everything about The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission totally explained

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner

Role of the Commission

The goal of New York City's landmarks law is to preserve the aesthetically and historically important buildings, structures, and other objects that make up the New York City vista. The Landmarks Preservation Commission is responsible for deciding which properties should be subject to landmark status and enacting regulations to protect the aesthetic and historic nature of these properties. These regulations are generally designed to allow property owners to continue to use and maintain their properties, while preserving the important design characteristics of the properties. The commission preserves not only unique buildings, but the overall feel of neighborhoods that are designated as historic districts. The role of the Commission has evolved over time, especially with the changing real estate market in New York City. As of 2006, the Commission set a goal of designating 16 individual landmarks and historic districts per year.

Commission history

The Landmarks Preservation Commission's first hearing occurred in September 1965 over the future of the Astor Library on Lafayette Street and the building was given a new use and preserved as a theater. 25 years later, the Commission was cited by David Dinkins as having preserved New York City's municipal identity and enhanced the market perception a number of neighborhoods. This success is believed to be due, in part, to the general acceptance of the commission by the city's developers.
   In 1989, when the Commission and its process was under review following a panel created by Mayor Koch in 1985, a decision was made to change the process by which buildings are declared to be landmarks due to some perceived issues with the manner by which the Commission operates In 1978, the United States Supreme Court upheld the law in Penn Central Transportation Co., et al. v. New York City, et al., stopping the Penn Central Railroad from demolishing the structure and replacing it with an office tower. This success is often cited as significant due to the Commission's origins following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station, referred to by some as architectural vandalism.
   1990 marked the first time in the Commission's history that a proposed landmark: the Guggenheim Museum, one of the youngest declared landmarks, received a unanimous vote by the Commission members. The vast majority of the Commission's actions are not unanimous by the Commission members or the community with a number of cases including: St. Bartholomew's Church, Bryant Park and a number of Broadway theatres resulting in challenges. One of the most controversial properties was 2 Columbus Circle, which remained at the center of a discussion over its future for a number of years.
   Cultural landmarks, such as Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn are recognized as well, not for their architecture, but rather for their location in a designated historic district.

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