National Trust contest yields wacky Pavilion designs

From Curbed:

In March, the National Trust for Historic Preservation launched a design competition that asked entrants to imagine a future for the iconic Philip Johnson-designed structure. More than 250 entries were received, ranging from the mundane (a brewery with a hydroponic farm) to the wild and wacky (a cheeseburger museum). From those, a panel that includes archicritic Paul Goldberger picked four winners: three general ones, and one specifically from a pool of Queens entrants.

Though the four winners differ in execution, they all have one thing in common: envisioning the Pavilion as a public space where New Yorkers can congregate and hang out. Currently, the structure is closed to the public—it’s apparently not safe enough for sustained public use at the moment—but here’s hoping the renewed interest in the Pavilion will change that soon.

National Trust holds pavilion contest

From DNA Info:

If you have an idea for the historic New York State Pavilion, here's your chance to share it.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is hosting an "anything goes" competition to solicit suggestions for the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park landmark — no matter how far-flung they may seem.

Then they'll pick a winner and...nothing will happen.

Historic Broadway-Flushing home sold

From the Queens Gazette:

Paul Halvatzis of Amorelli Realty has sold a historic home in the Broadway-Flushing neighborhood. The Ferrigno family who are the founding members of the Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Association previously owned the home, originally built in 1923. Located at 33-37 163rd St., the property is overseen by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, DC.

The goals of the association were to protect the integrity and appearance of the north Flushing area and maintain the Rickert-Finlay Covenant of 1906. The intent of the association also was to try to establish Flushing as a designated historical district. The home still retains much of the original woodwork and architecture from when it was originally built, more than 90 years ago. It is also adorned with a plaque which reads, “Broadway-Flushing has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of Historic Places by the US Department of the Interior and the New York State Register.”

“We are really excited about this and it is a real good outcome for this home,” said Shantia Anderheggen, Director of the Easement Program for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

A way to protect your house after you're gone

From the NY Times:

Any major work, inside or out, must not only receive permits from New York City but also the permission of the seller: the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Despite New York’s rich history, or perhaps because of it and the myriad preservation movements it spawned, the Ferrigno House is the first property in the five boroughs to come under the aegis of the trust.

The Ferrignos moved into the home, at 33-37 163rd Street, on the day they were married in 1955, and less than a decade later founded the Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Association. It was created to protect the neighborhood’s character on the eve of the World’s Fair, when that familiar New York anxiety set in: a tourist invasion. Even today, homes must follow the Rickert-Finlay covenants, laid down by the original developer, that limits what can be done to a property, including prohibitions on fences and flat roofs.

The Ferrignos doted on the neighbors, and really their homes, as if they were the children they never had. “Nick was the nicest guy, but he had no reservations about approaching someone in their yard and telling them the dos and don’ts of the covenant,” said Robert Hanophy Jr., the current president of the homeowners association who lives two doors down.

Mr. Ferrigno died five years ago, and his wife three years later. Before they died, they got Broadway-Flushing added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, which provides recognition but not protection for the area. With no one to inherit the house, and more crucially to protect it, the couple donated it to the trust in 2007. They were especially worried about it being torn down for a modern McMansion, an increasingly common problem in the neighborhood.

“They wanted to lead by example,” Sandi Viviani, a friend and past president of the homeowners association, said.

The Ferrigno House came on the market in March for $849,000 with Amorelli Realty, based in Astoria. That puts it below the neighborhood average of $1.25 million for a single-family house, according to StreetEasy.com. But it could also be a lot to ask for a property with many restrictions on it that simultaneously needs a thorough renovation.