Vote Against Mendacity To Preserve A Brooklyn Heights Skyscraper
On September 13, 2011, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Borough Hall Skyscraper District which is comprised of 21 skyscrapers and tall office buildings in Downtown Brooklyn. The borough’s 26th historic district, the designation celebrates and protects an important core of commercial developments which chart the rise of Brooklyn into an urban center from the 1850’s to the 1920’s. During the designation process, the residents of the only residential property in the district, the converted former 1926 Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce building at 75 Livingston Street, protested their building’s inclusion in the proposed historic district on both architectural and financial grounds. The LPC, however, found the building meritorious of preservation and included it in the district.
The designation is now going before the City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks on Wednesday, December 14th at 11am at 250 Broadway to be voted upon. Local Council member Stephen Levin (33, D) has been a strong supporter of the district and has been meeting with concerned parties on both sides about this issue to discuss it – however he is getting extreme political pressure to not support this designation.
The latest blast is a public opinion poll in Crain’s Newspaper – rating whether City Council should reject the designation!
The building is pictured in this message and frankly would be worthy of individual landmark status based on its street presence and architectural elegance alone. As part of the ensemble, it is a stand-out structure in the heart of Brooklyn’s historic downtown.
Please don’t let the forces of mendacity and pettiness damage the integrity of the Landmarks Law. Click on the link above and cast your “vote” for preservation (vote “no” on the negative poll).