Public Hearing on St. Vincent's/Rudin
Luxury Condo & New Hospital
Development Plan
at PS 41 ( 116 West 11th Street ,
west of 6th Avenue )
Tuesday, January 22 at 6:30 pm
(due to large expected turnout, we recommend you arrive and sign in
to speak at 6 pm,
to ensure you get a chance to testify)

The hearing is the first of several being held by Community Board #2
and our local elected officials.  The Community Board will vote on
the plan after its public hearings; the Borough President and Council
Speaker will also eventually vote on the plan; and the other elected
officials' positions will affect the approval process.  Therefore it
is very important that they hear from you, starting with this hearing.

For more information about the St. Vincent 's/Rudin development
proposal, go to www.gvshp.org/StVincents.htm, or call or e-mail GVSHP.

Thanks,
Glad you enjoyed it!
--- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, "Adrian Resa Jones"
<adrianresajones@...> wrote:
>
> The Island is too big for just one show. Having said that, I really
> enjoyed it.  I learned several things that I did not know in spite
of
> the years that my Mother lived there.
>
> --- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
> <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > Is the closest you've been to Staten Island a ride on the ferry?
> > Well, here's your chance to learn more about our greenest
borough.   A
> > WALK AROUND STATEN ISLAND WITH DAVID HARTMAN AND BARRY LEWIS,
> > premieres Monday, December 3 at 9:30 p.m. on Thirteen/WNET.
> >
> > In A WALK AROUND STATEN ISLAND, Hartman and Lewis explore 300
years of
> > history, Asian arts, mansions, beaches, personalities, hidden
gems,
> > and the best local pizza. Find out who's tilling the land at the
old
> > Decker Farm, discover one of America's oldest free black
communities,
> > learn who really invented the telephone, and find out what the
future
> > holds for that former landfill. Viewers will discover a borough
that
> > won't soon be forgotten.
> >
>

The Island is too big for just one show. Having said that, I really
enjoyed it.  I learned several things that I did not know in spite of
the years that my Mother lived there.

--- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Is the closest you've been to Staten Island a ride on the ferry?
> Well, here's your chance to learn more about our greenest borough.   A
> WALK AROUND STATEN ISLAND WITH DAVID HARTMAN AND BARRY LEWIS,
> premieres Monday, December 3 at 9:30 p.m. on Thirteen/WNET.
>
> In A WALK AROUND STATEN ISLAND, Hartman and Lewis explore 300 years of
> history, Asian arts, mansions, beaches, personalities, hidden gems,
> and the best local pizza. Find out who's tilling the land at the old
> Decker Farm, discover one of America's oldest free black communities,
> learn who really invented the telephone, and find out what the future
> holds for that former landfill. Viewers will discover a borough that
> won't soon be forgotten.
>

Is the closest you've been to Staten Island a ride on the ferry?
Well, here's your chance to learn more about our greenest borough.   A
WALK AROUND STATEN ISLAND WITH DAVID HARTMAN AND BARRY LEWIS,
premieres Monday, December 3 at 9:30 p.m. on Thirteen/WNET.

In A WALK AROUND STATEN ISLAND, Hartman and Lewis explore 300 years of
history, Asian arts, mansions, beaches, personalities, hidden gems,
and the best local pizza. Find out who's tilling the land at the old
Decker Farm, discover one of America's oldest free black communities,
learn who really invented the telephone, and find out what the future
holds for that former landfill. Viewers will discover a borough that
won't soon be forgotten.

(I just received this program notice -- disclosure: I work at
Thirteen, although not on this program.)

The Battle over Columbia's New Campus

Tonight at 10:30

Tonight Rafael Pi Roman looks at the current fight between Columbia
University and some of its neighbors.

Back in 1968, Columbia's attempt to expand ignited street riots and a
now legendary student takeover of the University. Today Columbia
wants to build a brand new 17-acre campus north of its home in
Morningside Heights. Many local residents say the plan will destroy
the neighborhood's character and some businesses owners are refusing
to sell despite the threat of eminent domain.

Is this 1968 revisited or is it an inspired transformation of the
area that's bound to bring great benefits to the community, the city,
and the public at large?

The program features interviews with Columbia President Lee
Bollinger, and the head of Community Board Nine, which has its own
plans for redeveloping the neighborhood.

For more information, log on to www.thirteen.org/nyvoices

New York Voices is funded by:
Elise Jaffe and Jeffrey Brown
Michael T. Martin
The Members of Thirteen

Those busy beavers at the Greenwich Village Soc. for Historic
Preservation are celebrating Columbus Day by announcing an effort to
save the South Village, a historic Italian community.  Here is their
press confernce announcement:

South Village Columbus Day Press Conference:  On Monday, October 8th
at 10:30 am, GVSHP and neighborhood leaders, elected officials, and
Italian-American groups will gather at Father Demo Square (Bleecker
and Carmine Streets at 6th Avenue) for a press conference
highlighting the South Village's Italian-American heritage and other
special qualities which make it worthy of landmark designation (see
flyer at www.gvshp.org/documents/ColumbusDayFlyer10-07.pdf).  Please
join us!

Several key historic buildings in the South Village are currently in
jeopardy (see www.gvshp.org/documents/Bleeckerlandmarking.pdf and
www.gvshp.org/firepatrol.htm), and several more have been lost in
recent years, threatening the character of this entire historic
neighborhood.  In response, GVSHP has submitted a proposal for
landmark designation of the South Village to the city (see
www.gvshp.org/documents/SouthVillageDolkartReportPDF.pdf) which has
received broad support from area elected officials, local, state, and
national preservation organizations, area business and property
owners, and community groups (see
www.gvshp.org/documents/SVdistrictsupportltrs.pdf).  However, the NYC
Landmarks Preservation Commission, which must ultimately decide
whether or not an area is designated an historic district, has not
yet taken up the proposal for consideration .

The Columbus Day press conference will be an important opportunity to
call attention to the South Village's special and historic qualities,
including its Italian-American heritage which remains palpable today
in its residents, its businesses, its institutions, and its
architecture.

HOW TO HELP:
COME TO THE COLUMBUS DAY SOUTH VILLAGE PRESS CONFERENCE  on Monday,
October 8th at 10:30 am at Father Demo Square, Bleecker and Carmine
Streets at 6th Avenue.
  SPREAD THE WORD -- download the flyer at
www.gvshp.org/documents/ColumbusDayFlyer10-07.pdf to post in your
building or distribute to neighbors, and pass this e-mail along to
friends.
WRITE TO THE CITY URGING THEM TO DESIGNATE THE PROPOSED SOUTH VILLAGE
HISTORIC DISTRICT -- go to
www.gvshp.org/southvillagesupportlet.htm.

For more information on the effort to preserve the South Village, see
www.gvshp.org/southvillage.htm.

To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to
www.gvshp.org/membership.htm.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation will be
protesting the Trump SoHo Condo-Hotel, starting with a launch
party.  Now that's my kind of protest.  Here's a message from Andrew
Berman at the GVSHP:

Just a brief reminder:  We will be protesting outside the Trump SoHo
Condo-Hotel's "launch party" on Wednesday, September 19th, at 10:15
am, at 246 Spring Street, btw. Varick and 6th Avenue.

We will be expressing our outrage at this oversized development
which we believe violates zoning laws and will hurt our
neighborhood, and at the City for using taxpayer dollars to defend
Trump's project in court.  We will also be demanding that the City
change the zoning for our neighborhood to prevent such developments,
and letting Trump and the media know that we support the impending
legal challenge against this trojan-horse 'condo-hotel'.

Please come, spread the word, bring signs, and bring your outrage.
For more information see www.gvshp.org/trump.htm, and for a flyer
you can circulate via e-mail, give to your neighbors, or post in
your building, go to www.gvshp.org/documents/Trump9-19-
07demoflyer.pdf.

I hope to see you on Wednesday.

Andrew Berman, Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
212/475-9585 x38
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003

Here are two great Tours from the Greenwich Village Soc. for
Historic Preservation:

232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
212.475.9585
www.gvshp.org

  Please call 212.475.9585 x35 or e-mail rsvp@... for
reservations.

**Register Today!**

         Foods of the South Village and SoHo:

A Walking (and Eating) Tour

Saturday, September 15; 12:15-3:30 p.m.

Meeting place announced upon reservation.

$25 GVSHP Members; $40 All others

Space is Limited. Advance payment required for reservation.

Please send checks payable to GVSHP to:

   232 E. 11th Street ; New York , NY 10003 .

To pay by credit card, please visit www.gvshp.org/events.htm

Come with us as we travel back in time through the central and
southern Village and northern SoHo . From longstanding "mom and pop"
eateries to old-fashioned specialty shops, we will journey through
the rich history of an exceptional district once frequented by
bohemians, artists, and immigrants who made this section of the city
their first home in the United States.  As we enjoy unique historic
streetscapes and taste delicious food specialties, we will explore
how, despite rising rents and gentrification, the flavor of this
changing neighborhood has survived.


~This event is presented  by GVSHP and Foods of New York ~


Lecture with Author Irene Tichenor on the DeVinne Press Building

Tuesday, September 25
6:30-8:00 p.m.

Third Street Music School
235 East 11th Street

Free. Reservations required
RSVP: 212-475-9585 x 35 or rsvp@....

Known as "the Fortress" in its heyday, the massive brick and terra
cotta building on the northeast corner of Lafayette and Fourth
Streets was built in 1886 as a printing plant to serve the specific
requirements of Theodore Low DeVinne, the most illustrious American
printer of his generation. In this illustrated lecture, Dr. Irene
Tichenor, author of No Art Without Craft: The Life of Theodore Low
DeVinne, Printer, will discuss the merit of the building's exterior
design, how the interior was used by the DeVinne Press, and why
DeVinne -- and what took place inside this building -- was important
in the history of American printing.

To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to
www.gvshp.org/membership.htm.

The link below doesn't work.  Here's the front page for the "Turning
Tables" blog at the Advance: http://blog.silive.com/turningtables/
The date of the entry is July 13.
Eddy
--- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> By the way readers,
> The Staten Island Advance, while deserving credit for making this
> victory happen, is taking full credit for the idea of moving the
> diner to Midland Beach (as opposed to South Beach or anywhere else
> on Staten Island) since there are not any competing ventors in
> Midland Beach: "Some suggested moving the Victory to South Beach.
> That prompted the Advance to call for moving it instead to the
> Midland Beach Promenade, where a food concession is currently
> lacking."
> But let me point out an acutal message on their blog, posted by
> yours truely, way back on July 13: "But even better, I like the
idea
> of adding it to the South Beach boardwalk (maybe even better at
> Midland where there aren't any vendors yet.) It would be one truely
> authentic Staten Island attraction on the boardwalk.
>
(http://blog.silive.com/turningtables/2007/07/victory_for_the_victory
> _diner.html)
> OK, you can applaud now.
> Eddy (TwoWheeler)
>
> --- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
> <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > The historic and much-loved Victory Diner has been saved thanks to
> > efforts by local civic and business leaders, according to an
> article in
> > yesterday's Staten Island Sunday Advance
> >
>
<http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1185712
> 211\
> > 99640.xml&coll=1>  .  Coverage by the Advance, the Times
> > <http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?
> res=F30715FE3E550C718EDDAE0\
> > 894DF404482>  , the American Diner Museum
> > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmericanDinerMuseum/?
> yguid=8784377>  ,
> > and our own Yahoo Group brought attention to the pending demise
of
> the
> > diner from as far as Boston.  The diner will be moved to Ocean
> Breaze on
> > Lower New York Harbor where it will sell burgers to beach-goers
on
> the
> > FDR Boardwalk.
> >
> > --- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
> > <no_reply@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Here is the CORRECTED LINK to the Staten Island Advance article.
> > >
> >
>
<http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1184154
> 310\
> > \
> > > 269280.xml&coll=1>
> > > --- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
> > > no_reply@ wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Staten Island's classic Victory Diner is to be demolished for
> office
> > > > space. The historic eatery, a star of film and tv – such as
> Easy
> > > > Money and The Education of Max Brickford – will be a great
loss
> > to
> > > > Staten Island and to diner enthusiasts everywhere.
> > > >
> > > > Hope vanishes for return of The Victory
> > > > Dongan Hills site to be transformed into office space
> > > > Wednesday, July 11, 2007
> > > > By KAREN O'SHEA
> > > > STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
> > > > STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The "closed for vacation" sign posted
> on the
> > > > door of the Victory Diner in Dongan Hills dangled hope that
the
> > > > silver and blue bullet-shaped restaurant with the red neon
sign
> > would
> > > > reopen.
> > > > Longtime owner Maria Pappas also clung to that hope -- until
> her
> > > > recent decision to retire and enter into a long-term lease
with
> > > > developers who plan to transform the diner into a two-story
> building
> > > > with commercial space on the first floor and offices above.
> > > > Read the full story at SI Live:
> > > >
> >
>
http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/11841543
> 1
> > > > 0269280.xml&coll=1
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>

By the way readers,
The Staten Island Advance, while deserving credit for making this
victory happen, is taking full credit for the idea of moving the
diner to Midland Beach (as opposed to South Beach or anywhere else
on Staten Island) since there are not any competing ventors in
Midland Beach: "Some suggested moving the Victory to South Beach.
That prompted the Advance to call for moving it instead to the
Midland Beach Promenade, where a food concession is currently
lacking."
But let me point out an acutal message on their blog, posted by
yours truely, way back on July 13: "But even better, I like the idea
of adding it to the South Beach boardwalk (maybe even better at
Midland where there aren't any vendors yet.) It would be one truely
authentic Staten Island attraction on the boardwalk.
(http://blog.silive.com/turningtables/2007/07/victory_for_the_victory
_diner.html)
OK, you can applaud now.
Eddy (TwoWheeler)

--- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
>
> The historic and much-loved Victory Diner has been saved thanks to
> efforts by local civic and business leaders, according to an
article in
> yesterday's Staten Island Sunday Advance
>
<http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1185712
211\
> 99640.xml&coll=1>  .  Coverage by the Advance, the Times
> <http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?
res=F30715FE3E550C718EDDAE0\
> 894DF404482>  , the American Diner Museum
> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmericanDinerMuseum/?
yguid=8784377>  ,
> and our own Yahoo Group brought attention to the pending demise of
the
> diner from as far as Boston.  The diner will be moved to Ocean
Breaze on
> Lower New York Harbor where it will sell burgers to beach-goers on
the
> FDR Boardwalk.
>
> --- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
> <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > Here is the CORRECTED LINK to the Staten Island Advance article.
> >
>
<http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1184154
310\
> \
> > 269280.xml&coll=1>
> > --- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
> > no_reply@ wrote:
> > >
> > > Staten Island's classic Victory Diner is to be demolished for
office
> > > space. The historic eatery, a star of film and tv – such as
Easy
> > > Money and The Education of Max Brickford – will be a great loss
> to
> > > Staten Island and to diner enthusiasts everywhere.
> > >
> > > Hope vanishes for return of The Victory
> > > Dongan Hills site to be transformed into office space
> > > Wednesday, July 11, 2007
> > > By KAREN O'SHEA
> > > STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
> > > STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The "closed for vacation" sign posted
on the
> > > door of the Victory Diner in Dongan Hills dangled hope that the
> > > silver and blue bullet-shaped restaurant with the red neon sign
> would
> > > reopen.
> > > Longtime owner Maria Pappas also clung to that hope -- until
her
> > > recent decision to retire and enter into a long-term lease with
> > > developers who plan to transform the diner into a two-story
building
> > > with commercial space on the first floor and offices above.
> > > Read the full story at SI Live:
> > >
>
http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/11841543
1
> > > 0269280.xml&coll=1
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

A collegiate-inspired bell tower will receive much-needed attention
when the Dept. of Parks & Recreation's Citywide Monuments Conservation
Program kicks off the first phase of restoration on the tower,
accoriding to a Parks & Restoration press release.  The 500-ton
campanelie honors area residents from Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale,
who died in the first World War, and features a 1762 Spanish bell, a
war prize taken in the Mexican War by "Old Fuss & Feathers" General
Winfield Scott.
Parks Dept. press release:
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/media_advisories/media_advisori
es.php?id=19952
and read more about the neighborhood and the tower at:
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/spuytenduyvil/spuyten.html

The historic and much-loved Victory Diner has been saved thanks to
efforts by local civic and business leaders, according to an article in
yesterday's Staten Island Sunday Advance
<http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1185712211\
99640.xml&coll=1>  .  Coverage by the Advance, the Times
<http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30715FE3E550C718EDDAE0\
894DF404482>  , the American Diner Museum
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmericanDinerMuseum/?yguid=8784377>  ,
and our own Yahoo Group brought attention to the pending demise of the
diner from as far as Boston.  The diner will be moved to Ocean Breaze on
Lower New York Harbor where it will sell burgers to beach-goers on the
FDR Boardwalk.

--- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Here is the CORRECTED LINK to the Staten Island Advance article.
>
<http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1184154310\
\
> 269280.xml&coll=1>
> --- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
> no_reply@ wrote:
> >
> > Staten Island's classic Victory Diner is to be demolished for office
> > space. The historic eatery, a star of film and tv – such as Easy
> > Money and The Education of Max Brickford – will be a great loss
to
> > Staten Island and to diner enthusiasts everywhere.
> >
> > Hope vanishes for return of The Victory
> > Dongan Hills site to be transformed into office space
> > Wednesday, July 11, 2007
> > By KAREN O'SHEA
> > STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
> > STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The "closed for vacation" sign posted on the
> > door of the Victory Diner in Dongan Hills dangled hope that the
> > silver and blue bullet-shaped restaurant with the red neon sign
would
> > reopen.
> > Longtime owner Maria Pappas also clung to that hope -- until her
> > recent decision to retire and enter into a long-term lease with
> > developers who plan to transform the diner into a two-story building
> > with commercial space on the first floor and offices above.
> > Read the full story at SI Live:
> >
http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/118415431
> > 0269280.xml&coll=1
> >
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Here is the CORRECTED LINK to the Staten Island Advance article.
<http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1184154310\
269280.xml&coll=1>
--- In newyorkbuiltenvironment@yahoogroups.com, eddygregory
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Staten Island's classic Victory Diner is to be demolished for office
> space. The historic eatery, a star of film and tv – such as Easy
> Money and The Education of Max Brickford – will be a great loss to
> Staten Island and to diner enthusiasts everywhere.
>
> Hope vanishes for return of The Victory
> Dongan Hills site to be transformed into office space
> Wednesday, July 11, 2007
> By KAREN O'SHEA
> STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
> STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The "closed for vacation" sign posted on the
> door of the Victory Diner in Dongan Hills dangled hope that the
> silver and blue bullet-shaped restaurant with the red neon sign would
> reopen.
> Longtime owner Maria Pappas also clung to that hope -- until her
> recent decision to retire and enter into a long-term lease with
> developers who plan to transform the diner into a two-story building
> with commercial space on the first floor and offices above.
> Read the full story at SI Live:
> http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/118415431
> 0269280.xml&coll=1
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Staten Island's classic Victory Diner is to be demolished for office
space.  The historic eatery, a star of film and tv – such as Easy
Money and The Education of Max Brickford – will be a great loss to
Staten Island and to diner enthusiasts everywhere.

Hope vanishes for return of The Victory
Dongan Hills site to be transformed into office space
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
By KAREN O'SHEA
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The "closed for vacation" sign posted on the
door of the Victory Diner in Dongan Hills dangled hope that the
silver and blue bullet-shaped restaurant with the red neon sign would
reopen.
Longtime owner Maria Pappas also clung to that hope -- until her
recent decision to retire and enter into a long-term lease with
developers who plan to transform the diner into a two-story building
with commercial space on the first floor and offices above.
Read the full story at SI Live:
http://www.silive.com/siadvance/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/118415431
0269280.xml&coll=1

This urgent message just in from the Historic Districts Council!

Preservation Alert!

Contact City Council and Ask Them to Uphold Our Landmarks!

On Monday June 25, the City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public
Siting and Maritime Uses will be voting on the landmark designation
of three important structures, 23 and 25 Park Place in Manhattan and
41-45 240th Street in Queens.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated 23 & 25 Park Place
as individual landmarks in March 2007. Both of these buildings were
the former home of the Daily News and two of the "Tribeca 22" -
individual buildings which the Landmarks Commission held public
hearings for but did not designate at the time of the Tribeca
historic district designations. These particular buildings were heard
three times in 1989 and 1990 and are considered worthy of being
individual landmarks. 41-45 240th Street is an important building in
the Douglaston Hill Historic District. Although there has been some
confusion about the construction date of the property, the building
definitely contributes to the district's sense of place.

Council members Alan Gerson and Tony Avella (who represent these
properties), the local community boards, preservation groups,
architects and many members of both communities support the
landmarking of these important buildings. However, HDC has recently
learned that several members of the Landmarks Subcommittee are
leaning against designation - based on owner opposition. In the past,
the City Council has deferred to the opinion of the Council Member in
whose district the landmarked building is located.

HDC is therefore asking all advocates to reach out to Landmarks
Subcommittee Chair Jessica Lappin and state your strong support for
these buildings. Ask her not to allow the Subcommittee to vote
against the community and their colleagues on these worthy landmarks.
A sample letter is below. This is an urgent matter. Please take the
time to send your email now. If you send this letter please copy the
letter to hdc@....

Thank you for your support of New York's historic neighborhoods.


Hon. Jessica Lappin, Chair
Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Use
Email: lappin@...

Cc: arroyo@..., barron@...,
comrie@..., liu@...,
martinez@..., mendez@...,
oddo@..., palma@...,
gerson@..., Avella@...

Dear Chair Lappin:

I am writing in strong support of the landmark designation of 23 and
25 Park Place in Manhattan and the inclusion of 41-45 240th Street in
the Douglaston Hill Historic District in Queens. All of these
properties are representative of the irreplaceable historic character
that adds to the neighborhoods that define our city. 23 and 25 Park
Place are noteworthy examples of 19th-century commercial architecture
and served as an early home of the Daily News. 41-45 240th Street is
an integral part of the Douglaston Hill Historic District and fits
perfectly into the period of significance, 1890-1930, of this
suburban style neighborhood.

The most important issue here is owner consent. The Landmarks
Preservation Commission is empowered to safeguard the city's
historical, aesthetic and cultural heritage. Owner consent is not
required for landmark designation and this is one of the reasons that
each proposed landmark designation goes through a public process
where the LPC receives public testimony on each designation.
Overturning these three designations based on the opposition of the
respective owners will create a terrible precedent and greatly impede
future designations.

As you are aware, landmark designation has been proven to be a great
benefit to the quality of life in communities around the city. We ask
that you and the members of this subcommittee uphold these three
designations.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for all your support
of landmark preservation in New York City.

Sincerely,

Name
Address

Brownbag Lunchtime Lecture
at the Fraunces Tavern Museum

"Are the Achievements of the Past to Fade Into Oblivion?":
Andrew H. Green and the Emerging Historic Preservation Movement

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2007
12:30p to 1:30p

In the 1890s the historic sites of New York City were in danger. The
original Federal Hall and George Washington's home were long gone.
Would other historic structures like City Hall, Fraunces Tavern, and
Hamilton Grange share their fate? At this lunchtime lecture Manhattan
Borough Historian Michael Miscione will explain how Andrew H. Green,
the little-remembered civic visionary who planned much of Manhattan
and masterminded the consolidation of the five boroughs, gave a voice
to the emerging historic preservation movement that rescued many of
New York's great historic treasures. The presentation will feature
many rarely seen images and documents.

Free with museum admission. No reservations required. Refreshments
will not be served.

Learn more about the remarkable career of Andrew H. Green at
andrewhgreen.net

Fraunces Tavern Museum
54 Pearl Street (at Broad Street)
New York, NY 10004
212/ 425-1778
www.frauncestavernmuseum.org

The Manhattan Borough Historian's Office
Municipal Building
One Centre Street, 19th fl. New York, NY 10007
212/ 669-8089
boroughhistorian@...

Manhattan Borough Historian Michael Miscione invites you to

A TRIBUTE TO ANDREW H. GREEN, NYC'S FORGOTTEN CIVIC GIANT

Join us in Central Park on Sunday, November 12th as we raise a toast
to Andrew H. Green, the unsung 19th century master planner and
preservationist who historian Kenneth T. Jackson has
called, "arguably the most important leader in Gotham's long
history." Green steered the creation of Central, Riverside, and
Morningside Parks; the New York Public Library; the Metropolitan
Museum of Art; the American Museum of Natural History; the Bronx Zoo;
and the Washington Bridge. As founder of the American Scenic &
Historic Preservation Society, he pioneered the historic preservation
movement. Most importantly, Green masterminded the 1898 consolidation
of the five boroughs, a measure that expanded the city's size
fivefold. Speakers to be announced.

WHEN:
Sunday, November 12, 2006 at 1:00p.
(Rain date: Sunday, November 19 at 1:00p.)

WHERE:
The Andrew H. Green Memorial Bench, inside Central Park at about 105
Street.
Note: The bench is extremely difficult to find! See directions and
map at andrewhgreen.net.

COST:
Free and open to all. No reservations required.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EVENT:
Contact Michael Miscione at (212) 669-8089 or
boroughhistorian@....

LEARN MORE ABOUT GREEN:
Visit andrewhgreen.net.

St. Saviour's Church in Queens is under threat.  Here is the story
from an e-mail I received from the Preservation Listserve:

Dear Sirs,

  I am writing to you out of concern for a threatened property in
western Queens, NY that has historical, architectural, archeological
and environmental significance.

  The property was formerly known as "St. Saviour's Church."  It was
founded upon land donated in 1847 by Maspeth pioneer, U.S.
Congressman, philanthropist and conservationist, James Maurice.  The
church building itself was designed in a European Gothic Revival
style by renowned architect, Richard Upjohn, who a year earlier had
completed the design of Trinity Church in lower Manhattan.  Area
architects and historians were not aware that this Upjohn work
existed and have expressed interest in learning more about it.

  In 1878, Maurice bought additional property that he also donated to
the Episcopal Church which enlarged the lot to its present size.
This space is an oasis of green in a heavily industrialized
neighborhood.  The trees on the property play host to migrating and
nesting birds and are hundreds of years old.  The grounds represent
the last piece of western Queens that has remained untouched by
development.  The hill on the property is believed to have been part
of a Native American site and may contain a burial ground;
archeologists have expressed interest in examining the property.

  Despite the historical significance of the church, the City of New
York refuses to designate it as a landmark due to necessary
alterations made after a fire in 1970.  Last year, the property was
sold to a developer who plans to raze the church, level the land, and
build 40 multi-family homes.  The area cannot absorb any more people,
as there are few services available - no school or park and
inadequate public transportation.  The developer has a major hurdle
to clear before he can go ahead with his plan, and that is to get the
zoning changed.  He has already met with stiff opposition at the
community board by local residents, making the rezoning he applied
for less likely.  However, that has not stopped him from
contaminating the neighborhood through improper removal of asbestos
for which he was shut down by the Department of Environmental
Protection.

  The residents of western Maspeth are trying to conserve the land for
use as a park, community garden and nature center/museum - none of
which the area presently has.  We understand that AIA favors
incorporation of green space into neighborhoods and would appreciate
your consideration in helping us to save a part of our history as
well as keep this property a natural area.

  Thank you.

  Yours truly,

  Christina Wilkinson

Juniper Park Civic Association

Chair, Committee to Save St. Saviour's

Visit my new blog at NYC.com, "A View From the Bike Lane -- Assorted
musings and reports on New York, from a perspective of a Staten Island
bike commuter"  NYC preservation issues will figure prominently in
this blog.  It's online at
http://www.newyorkcity.com/people/TwoWheeler/Blog
If you wish to add the "RSS" feed to your Yahoo! page, the RSS URL is:
http://www.newyorkcity.com/people/TwoWheeler/blog/feed.rss

The Archdiocese of New York plans to close St. Paul School on Staten
Island. This multicultrual school serves a student body of which 65%
live below the poverty line. The plan is to close St. Pauls and expand
on the wealthier South Shore -- leaving behind valuable real estate
prime for development.
There is a petition to save St. Paul's online at http://www.where-to-
turn.org ! Please sign today, and e-mail the link to everyone you know.

If you'd like to know more about the story, here is a good one from
the Staten Island Advance:
http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/114424303730424
0.xml&coll=1
And here is a Staten Island Advance editorial
supporting the school:
http://www.silive.com/editorials/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/114458850
7260050.xml&coll=1

Eddy Gregory

(another important message from the preservation listserv)
In September, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the
Austin, Nichols & Company Warehouse located at 184 Kent Avenue in
Williamsburg as an individual New York City landmark. This amazing
building, designed by world-famous Woolworth building architect Cass
Gilbert, is an important part of both the Williamsburg skyline and
New York's waterfront history. On Tuesday, November 22nd at 11am this
designation will come before the City Council's Landmarks, Public
Siting & Maritime Uses Committee to be affirmed or denied. The
building's owners oppose designation because it would prevent them
from constructing towers on top of the building. City Councilmember
David Yassky is also opposed to the designation, because he is
listening to the owners and not to the community.  In light of the
recent decision to overturn the Jamaica Savings Bank designation
because of owner opposition,  support from the preservation community
is crucial at Tuesday's hearing.

We will be holding a rally with Council member Tony Avella on the
steps of City Hall at 9:30am on Tuesday, November 22nd. Please come
to the rally  (as an added incentive, there's a limited supply of eye-
catching t-shirts for those who attend!) and hearing to show your
support.



If you cannot attend the hearing please send testimony to committee
chair Simcha Felder (felder@...), a sample letter is
below, there's also information at http://www.landmark184.org and at
http://www.waterfrontalliance.org.


SAMPLE LETTER:

=============

Dear Councilmember Felder:

The Austin, Nichols & Company Warehouse at 184 Kent Avenue in
Williamsburg, Brooklyn stands today as a reminder of the vital role
the Williamsburg waterfront played in the industrial and commercial
development of New York City. The low-slung building features a
minimalist design, consisting of an Egyptian-inspired coved cornice
and vertical rows of incised windows that reinforce the building's
monolithic presence on the East River waterfront. In its heyday, the
building housed the food processing and distribution operations of
the world's largest grocery wholesaler.

Noted architect Cass Gilbert designed the Austin, Nichols & Company
Warehouse in 1913—the same year that he was designing the Woolworth
Building in Lower Manhattan. The 1913 building was recently deemed
eligible for listing on the State and National Register of Historic
Places by the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation. Over 775 cards and letters from community residents,
concerned New Yorkers and civic associations– including the Municipal
Art Society, Preservation League of New York State and Greenpoint
Waterfront Association for Parks & Planning have been sent to
Landmarks Preservation Commission and to city council members.

If the designation of the building is not approved by the Landmarks,
Public Siting and Maritime Uses Committee it risks becoming a
casualty of the city's rezoning initiative, erasing any tangible
evidence of Brooklyn's rich industrial heritage. The recent
successful, sympathetic conversion to residential use has shown that
the Austin, Nichols & Company Warehouse has the capacity to remain
vital in a sea-change of transformation of the Williamsburg
waterfront, while retaining its impressive architectural and historic
material and design integrity. I urge you to support the designation
of the Austin Nichols and Company warehouse as an individual
landmark. Thank you.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

(this also came in through the listserve)
Go to landmarkwest.org now and look at the live "shame camera"
focused on the facade of 2 Columbus Circle.  As I write this five
workman are  putting up scaffolding (holes are made in the marble to
do so). As of 8:30 a.m. this morning the scaffolding is about l/3 of
the way up the main facade.  Watching a landmark being prepared for
execution, minute by minute, on your computer screen, is a powerful
and painful preservation first.  It is enraging.  If you have not
already done everything in your power to try and save this building,
go to the web site, get motivated, and do it. Until a building is
actually demolished, until a facade is actually stripped, there is
still hope.  More press?  Action by the City Council?  An llth
hour "conversion" experience for the LPC? The right phone call to the
Mayor? Make sure if we do lose this building you can take comfort
knowing you did all you could to save it.  The end is near--but not
quite here. Now is the time for a preservation miracle.  Do what you
can to make it happen. acw

(this from the preservation list serve)
SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS PRESENTS
A PANEL DISCUSSION ON PUBLIC ART/PRIVATE MONUMENTS

Thursday, November 17, 2005, 7pm
School of Visual Arts, New York City
209 East 23rd Street, 3rd-floor Amphitheater, NYC

The BFA Fine Arts and Art History Departments of the School of Visual
Arts (SVA) presents Public Art/Private Monuments, a panel addressing
the
increasingly fraught relations between public art and private
commemoration.

Situated among large-scale sculpture, architecture and urban
planning,
public art remains a controversial subject. What is public art and to
which public does it pay homage? How do politics and patronage impact
its content? As site-specific work it remains largely invisible to a
broader public, raising the question of contextualization in the
domain
of art history. And what are the tradeoffs between public audiences
and
an artist's opportunity to work in very large scale?

Panelists are:
Alice Aycock (moderator) is a sculptor who creates large-scale,
semi-architectural installations that deal with the interaction of
structure, site, materials and the psychophysical responses of the
viewer. She currently has three major installations in the New York
City
area and her work is the subject of a new monograph published this
year
by M.I.T Press.

Julian LaVerdiere, sculptor, worked with a group of artists and
architects to create Tribute in Light, the temporary light memorial
to
the victims of 9/11, which has become an annual event. Employing a
pastiche of symbols, signs and themes from the past and present, the
artist draws attention to pivotal monuments and events that serve as
historic harbingers of coming change.

Dennis Oppenheim is known as a key figure in American conceptual art
who
has worked in sculpture, performance, video and mixed-media. His
architectural installations have been exhibited worldwide, including
New
York City, Buenos Aires, Brussels, Mexico City and Tel Aviv.

Lucio Pozzi is a mixed-media artist who exhibits and performs
internationally. His subtle, site-specific installation at P.S. 1
Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City, Paint, has remained
permanently on view since it was installed in 1976.

Public Art/Private Monuments will take place on Thursday, November 17
at
7pm. It will be at School of Visual Art, 209 East 23rd Street,
Amphitheatre, 3rd floor, NYC. The event is free and open to the
public.
For
more information, call 212.592.2510.

Media Contact: For more information, please call Samantha Hoover,
Director of Communication at 212.592.2209, or e-mail shoover@....

Does anyone know if there are plans to house Katrina evacuees in NYC,
and particularly if anyone is considering using Governor's Island?
It's a ready-made community and I would imagine it could be brought
online pretty quickly to house many people.  Sound like a good idea?
If so, who would need to make the offer?
-----------------------------------------
Katrina Donations:
http://www.nationaltrust.org
http://www.habitat.org
http://www.redcross.org

Here's some info on a program on Thirteen/WNET tonight (May 13):

new york voices:
Transforming the Waterfront
Tonight at 9:30

             In tonight's New York Voices, Rafael Pi Roman takes a
comprehensive look at a plan that was approved this week to rezone a
major portion of North Brooklyn's old industrial waterfront.
It's an
area nearly half the size of Central Park, stretching along two miles
of the East River waterfront. Today this land is largely deserted,
but soon it will be occupied by 54 acres of new parkland, a public
esplanade along the river, and apartment towers rising 40 stories.
The plan is being hailed as the crowning achievement in the Bloomberg
Administration's successful push to transform New York's
underused
shoreline.

             But some residents of Greenpoint and Williamsburg are
unhappy about the scale of the new development. The plan also
includes a controversial set of rules called inclusionary zoning that
will result in private developers reserving about one-third of all
new homes for low- and middle-income tenants. Tonight's show includes
interviews with Brooklyn Councilmember David Yassky, who fought for
more affordable housing, and Julia Vitullo Martin of the Center for
Rethinking Development, a critic of inclusionary zoning.

             We'll also visit the remnants of New York's
working
waterfront in a preview of the Hidden Harbor Boat Tour, which will be
offered to the public next weekend in celebration of Maritime Day.
That segment will be followed by a visit to Gregory Colbert's "Ashes
and Snow" exhibit at Pier 54, and a look at the events being offered
this month as part of the Cuban Arts Festival.

             Visit www.thirteen.org/nyvoices for more on tonight's
show or any other New York Voices program.

[disclosure: I work at Thirteen.]

Help the Historic Buildings Notification Bill (also known as the Demo
Delay Bill)
"New York city`s older neighborhoods are rapidly disappearing under a
haze of tear-down construction. All across the city, historic homes
are being leveled for townhouse developments and McMansions."

This site will assist you by sending an e-mail or letter from you to
your Council Memeber, the Council Speaker and/or the Mayor.

http://www.nonprofitmaps.org/action/descrip.asp?Cname=hdc&AlertID=16

This just in from NY1.com:

MARCH 11TH, 2005

Its new owners plan to turn much of the Plaza Hotel into luxury
condos, but New Yorkers may still get to experience its distinguished
public areas.

The City Landmarks Commission will decide whether the hotel's lobbies
and restaurants should be preserved. The Plaza's façade is already
landmarked, and the commission will decide in a series of public
hearings whether the other interior spaces should be protected as
well.

The spaces under consideration are Oak Room and Oak Bar, the Palm
Court, the Grand Ballroom, and the Fifth Avenue and 59th Street
lobbies.

The commission chairman says the hearings are unrelated to the "Save
the Plaza" campaign being mounted by union workers and
preservationists.

The building's new owner is not allowed to make any changes while the
review is taking place.

Thursday, January 20, 7:00pm

Manhattan Community Board 7
Public Hearing on
Proposed Changes to Lincoln Center

This is the first public hearing, part of the City ULURP procedure, to
review Lincoln Center Development Inc.'s plan for the North Campus of
Lincoln Center. This plan includes significant alterations to the
Juilliard
School building, Alice Tully Hall, the 65th Street corridor and the
North
Plaza, including reflecting pool.

Some of the proposed changes can be viewed on Lincoln Center's
website.
http://www.lincolncenter.org. (Under "About Lincoln Center," click
"Bravo
Lincoln Center Campaign")*

If you are interested in this important constellation of Modern
architecture
come to learn more and/or add your own comments to the public record.


American Bible Society Building, 1865 Broadway @61st Street
[A/B/C/D/1/9 - 59th St / Columbus Circle station]

* It takes some navigating:

4/13/04 Press Release:
http://www.lincolncenter.org/popUp/media_release.asp?
pressreleaseid=372

Animated Presentation:
http://www.lincolncenter.org/redev/launch.asp?id=752

Good Olde Things is salvaging items to sell from a former S.I. Ferry
Boat.  For info, visit their current newsletter at
http://www.oldegoodthings.com/newsletter4.htm .
I can't remember the original name of the ferry (either the Kolff or
the Merrill), but it is the one that recently served as a floating
prison under the name "Walter Keane."
Eddy

This just in from NY1 News:

A 52-year-old Upper East Side landmark is being torn down.

The Beekman Theatre, best known for its appearance in Woody Allen's
1977 hit "Annie Hall," will close its doors in June.

The current landlord, a unit of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center, has decided to act on a lease option take back the property
and build an out-patient cancer treatment center by 2009. The
hospital says it has run out of room at its other facilities.

Dozens of celebrities have passed through the post-World War II
building, because the 536-seat theater has been used to host many
movie premieres over the years.

Activists are trying to get the building certified as a city
landmark.

[Jan. 5, 2005 at www.ny1.com]