The Purchase Building, built with federal Work Projects Administration funds in 1936, had been used as a temporary headquarters for the Office of Emergency Management following 9/11, when its Manhattan office was destroyed.New waterfront park coming soon
Supporters of the $150 million park plan believe the landmarked building would bisect the park, interrupting its continuity and blocking views of the river.
But despite protests from preservationists bent on saving the Art Deco building, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted in favor of demolishing it in 2006.
"It's further evidence that the [Empire State Development Corp.] cares so little about what the community thinks," said Judi Francis, president of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund. "All parties, for and against the project, have wanted to preserve it because it's a landmark."
LPC designates buildings and then green lights their demolition. So what exactly is the agency's purpose, anyway, other than to protect the property values of the rich?
Photo from Brownstoner
8 comments:
I've been in that building back when it was OEM - what a dump. They landmark that, but won't landmark the NY State Pavillion in Queens. What a joke
Why doesn't the East River have a park all they way up to Astoria?
The leadership of that community turned their back on the public for developers.
Nice work, boys!
CB1 the community board from hell.
What are you complaining about now? What is so great about this building? If nothing was there now and the choices were this building or a park, I thought you all would want a park rather than a building development.
Your statement is completely irrelevant. There already is a building there, and its landmarked, which means it's supposed to be protected by the very agency that is greenlighting its demolition.
There exists neither consistency
nor any real integrity at the LPC.
The law itself was set up as a sham
solely to protect and enhance
the Manhattan tourist corridor
and the other wealthy
powerhouse neighborhoods in NYC.
It is often capriciously applied,
and the "criteria" for designation
has never been specifically codified.
That leaves the process of the granting or denial
of landmark status to the whim of corrupt
LPC bureaucrats who take their marching orders
from the NYC real estate/building industry!
This law, as it currently stands,
needs to be completely torn down and rebuilt
(if possible)......nothing less will do!
Strengthening the LPC.....
as the Citizens' Emergency Committee to
Preserve Preservation (CECPP) proposes....
will accomplish nothing(except for Manhattan).
Pardon my French....
but if I so choose to masturbate....
there are far better ways for me to accomplish this
(and preferably in private)!
This group is shopping right now
for a good civil rights attorney
to overturn NYC's landmarks law
for its random DISCRIMINATORY application.
The LPC favors only the wealthy,
powerful neighborhoods or the tourist loop
borough of Manhattan
And that folks is PREJUDICE !
It's either EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW
(for all boroughs) OR IT'S NOTHING !
This group is shopping right now
for a good civil rights attorney
to overturn NYC's landmarks law
for its random DISCRIMINATORY application.
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Yea, baby, go baby go !!!!!
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