Look at this housing project. Pretty hideous, would you agree? Well guess what? It's landmarked! Yes, in his first year as Chair of the LPC, Robert Tierney, with aid and comfort from the city council and the mayor, oversaw the designation of this "East" Williamsburg complex. It's probably just a matter of time before they are converted into "luxury condos." Yet the Trylon Theater, Klein Farm, St. Saviour's and Richmond Hill have all gotten the thumbs down. If they had been in hipster nabes earmarked for yuppie invasions, maybe they would be preserved, too. However, they're in neighborhoods redlined for Fedders overdevelopment, so it's tough luck on them. Thank you to Forgotten-NY for bringing this ridiculous abuse of the landmarks law to our attention. Can't wait to see what you reveal in part 2. The official excuses for landmarking these are as follows:
Photos from Forgotten-NY
8 comments:
The Williamsburgh Houses don't do a bit of justice. The Landmark proceedings are clearly biased.
How about THE ULTIMATE ANTI-TIERNEY/BETTS MOVEMENT OF 2007?? It's never too late to defend your city.
The culprits have been in power a bit too long, and have hammered away at many sites that should have been designated. They are responsible for mocking our beloved landmarks, betraying our communities despite extensive support in several cases, and making our history, culture, and architecture go to hell forever.
They have continued to apply the Landmarks law unequally, so therefore, we need to launch a petition drive to boot them from the Commission and save all 5 boroughs. Chair Robert Tierney's public testimony in support of the 5 boroughs ("clearing up any discrepancy") is just a big hoax.
It's now or never for the outer boroughs in particular. Don't let history repeat itself in the eye of the enemy! Hope to hear your ideas. Tierney & Betts have exceeded their quota of wrongdoings on the Commission, and it is time for a change!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Those who voted for his reappointment in 2005 either don't value preservation, or are too ignorant to know and appreciate its meaning!
It's in sacred LPC territory.....Manhattan!
That's the only reason it meets mary Beth Betts mysterious "criteria"!!!!!!
It doesn't deserve landmark status on Mars!!!!
Hey....let's landmark the Queensbridge Projects. They're more appealing.
No wait....they'll be converted to luxury housing one day and we don't want any encumberances!
These projects are in Brooklyn.
How about Old Astoria. Jab a thumb into CB1 of Queens, the community board from hell!
This is their way to satisfy two charges leveled at LPC. They did not landmark areas of color, and they did not landmark areas outside of downtown Brooklyn or Manhattan.
Be prepared for good answers on these points for they will throw stuff like this at us when we start the process to overturn the law.
Oops...sorry for the slip....Brooklyn (right) not Manhattan! Only one cup of coffee...still groggy.... I guess.
Brooklyn is still favored LPC territory over Queens!
I live in the Williamsburg Houses. The 'projects' may not be as visually stunning as the RKO Keith movie house but the Williamsburg Houses have provided a decent place for people to call home since 1937. Let me add that I love old movie theaters. I was saddened to see the demolition of the Commodore Theater on Marcy Avenue so I think that everything should be done to preserve what's left of old movie theaters.
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