This is considered to be a preservation "victory"

From No Land Grab:

Note how the newly approved historic district wraps the southeast section of the Atlantic Yards footprint like a fork. That section until last year contained the preservation-worthy Ward Bakery Building —- which was perhaps Prospect Heights' most distinguished building - demolished courtesy of Bruce C. Ratner.

While Municipal Art Society and Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council are to be commended for their efforts, had the two groups been more vociferous in their opposition to Atlantic Yards -— both are members of the "mend-it-don't-end-it" BrooklynSpeaks coalition —- one has to wonder if the Ward Bakery, too, could have been saved from Bruce Ratner's wrecking ball.

From Atlantic Yards Report:

Note how two fingers of row houses would bookend the southeast block of the Atlantic Yards site, slated to be a staging area for arena construction, and also a massive parking lot for workers and visitors, ultimately with 2070 spaces.

The Atlantic Yards site, according to the Empire State Development Corporation, is blighted. I wonder how many blighted areas are abutted by historic districts.

This map perfectly illustrates what a laughingstock preservation in this city has become. But there is a silver lining - lots more Manhattan buildings will be designated soon, too. Hooray!

Photo: Tracy Collins via flickr Atlantic Yards Photo Pool, Atlantic Yards v. Prospect Heights Historic District