Support the NoHo Historic District Extension!

Unless the City Council upholds the Landmarks Preservation Commission's designation of these historic structures, this remarkable neighborhood will remain unprotected and vulnerable to unsympathic alterations and teardowns. The Edison Parking Lot on the corner of Great Jones and Lafayette Streets and the White House Hotel site at 338-340 Bowery are particularly at risk of being omitted from the final district's boundaries. To help preserve the entirety of this neighborhood and protect it for generations of future New Yorkers, please voice your support of the NoHo Extension's designation immediately by submitting letters to New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Council Member Jessica Lappin, chair of the Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses Subcommittee. A sample letter that you may cut-and-paste has been provided below.

August 2008

Hon. Christine Quinn, Speaker
3rd Council District, Manhattan
224 West 30th St, Suite 1206
New York, NY 10001

Hon. Jessica Lappin
5th Council District, Manhattan
336 East 73rd Street, Suite C
New York, NY 10021

Dear Speaker Quinn and Council Member Lappin,

Since 1996, community advocates and residents of NoHo have been requesting protection for their remarkable neighborhood. After two disappointingly-small landmark designations in 1999 and 2003, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously on May 13, 2008 to designate the most intact majority of the remainder of historic NoHo. This relatively small designation has resulted in a total number of 233 protected buildings in this very old New York neighborhood. The City Planning Commission recently endorsed the designation, declaring that “the designation of the NoHo Historic District Extension will help to sustain the physical and economic revitalization underway in the area and that this designation is consistent with plans for the area’s future development and improvement. The NoHo Historic District Extension should continue to evolve and grow while retaining its historic character which is, in large measure, the basis of its transformation.” Soon the designation will be brought before the City Council, who will have the final say on NoHo’s designation. I respectfully urge you to support it in its entirety.

NoHo boasts a wide range of architectural styles. This particular portion of the neighborhood is exceptionally eclectic, with buildings dating from the 1820’s to buildings built in the past year. Its many contrasts in style create a distinct sense of place grounded in the different buildings’ complimentary scales, massings and materials. Unfortunately, recent development efforts, spurred by public knowledge of the Landmarks Commission’s interest in the neighborhood, threaten to compromise the architectural integrity of these blocks. Three historic buildings have recently been demolished, and a number of others have been granted permits for significant alterations. Without the protection guaranteed by historic district status, NoHo’s special sense of place will be gone forever.

I would like to specifically highlight the importance of the White House Hotel, which has been in operation since approximately 1917. The Hotel, originally located at 340 Bowery, took over the adjacent building at 338 Bowery between 1928 and 1929. It was sold less than two years ago and its new owners vehemently deny the building’s historic relevance. Yet its contribution to the character of the neighborhood is undeniable. In addition to its architectural merits, its years spent as a flophouse address an important part of the Bowery’s social history, an aspect of the neighborhood’s past that should not be denied. To exclude the property from the district would undermine the cohesiveness of the boundaries.

The Edison Parking lot on the corner of Lafayette and Great Jones Streets, adjacent to the original NoHo District, must also be included within the extension’s boundaries. Though lacking in historic resources, this open lot’s large size and prime location make it extremely vulnerable to real estate and development interests. The design of any future construction on the site should be reviewed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

I hope that you will uphold the boundaries of the NoHo Historic District Extension put forth by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and vote to uphold its designation when it is brought before the Council. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Your Name
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