Testimonials from the Trades: The Value of Preservation
Testimonials on the Value of Preservation from the Trade
One of the arguments continually used against landmark protection is economic, that landmark designation stifles job creation. We have been reaching out to actual practitioners who work on historic buildings, both protected and not, and here’s what they’re been saying. Click each quote to read the full support letter.
“New York Landmarks Commission is instrumental in creating and generating work for many construction trades and the training of artisans in the crafts”, Clagnan Stained Glass Studio
“the Landmarks Law must be upheld. Without it, real, highly skilled New York construction jobs would be in jeopardy.”, Evergreen Architectural Arts
“We employ a workforce of 150 fulltime employees….many of the buildings we have maintained are designated landmarks”, West New York Restoration of CT
“New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission… is vital (not only) for the beauty and welfare of our city but also for the health of my own business”, Aurora Lampworks
“We are a Union Contracting firm employing over 150 Tradespeople in the field and 20 office personnel. For anyone or any organization to imply that the preservation of historic buildings detracts from jobs in New York couldn’t be further than the truth.”, Nicholson & Galloway
“Both buyers and renters are drawn to historical and charming neighborhoods that are not just a mass of cookie cutter buildings”, Welcome Home Real Estate
“Thanks greatly to the passing of the Landmarks Law, we have had successful growth and are continually hiring and training individuals in our craft, providing them with skills and career opportunities, Essex Works
“Working on both historic and new construction projects, we find landmark requirements do not detract from jobs in New York, in fact they generate jobs”, Boston Valley Terra Cotta
“In my over eight years in real estate in Jackson Heights, I have had far more customers request that the house or apartment they are seeking to buy be (in) the historic district, regulations and all, than outside it with no Landmarks protection”, Beaudoin Realty Group
“From a business perspective, preservation creates and preserves jobs which would be lost without a strong preservation sector, a sector made possible by the Landmarks Law and its enforcement.“, A. Ottavino Corp.
The strong Landmark Law has been successful in preserving the character of the city by requiring appropriate, high quality restoration. Without the LPC regulations, facades would be stripped and we would all be the poorer for it both in loss of building values and diminished neighborhood beauty. As producers of Fiberglass Cornices, we have replaced literally miles of deteriorating facades, thereby helping maintain the splendor of the city and giving meaningful employment to our workers.