Landmarks

Fearful of potential future development, the 122nd Street Block Association is working to landmark the Second Friendship Baptist Church—a 19th-century, Victorian-style carriage house in central Harlem.

City officials are moving forward with a proposal to designate most of West End Avenue as a historic district—expanding historic preservation for even more of the Upper West Side.

On Feb. 7, 1964, the Beatles arrived in New York City, bringing with them a wave of excitement and admiration that had already swept their native Britain and was now encroaching on the world. Few bands have had such a monumental or long-lasting impact on world culture as these Liverpudlians (yes, this is the actual term). As we celebrate half a century of their crossing of the Atlantic, the city that first received them—and that would later on be John Lennon's home—still preserves sites that defined, or were defined by, the band's stay in America. Here we list the Fab Four sites of the Beatles in New York.

Administrators of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine are planning a new residential development on the cathedral grounds—but local preservation advocates say it will tarnish a historic monument.

The impending demolition of three Columbia-owned brownstones may destroy political ties, Assembly member Daniel O'Donnell said on Thursday. O'Donnell, who represents Morningside Heights, sent a letter to University President Lee Bollinger last week saying that moving ahead with the demolitions of brownstones on 115th Street would be "a misguided and hostile move toward the residents of Morningside Heights." The letter said, "Columbia's continuing to ignore this neighborhood's pleas would irrevocably damage my working relationship with the university and destroy any remaining goodwill I harbor for your institution." The vacant brownstones, 408, 410, and 412 West 115th Street, are currently shrouded in netting and scaffolding. Columbia obtained a demolition permit in November 2009, and local preservation groups have been protesting against the tear-down for years. The University has maintained that the brownstones are in a state of disrepair. O'Donnell said in an interview that he expects the buildings to come down, but that Columbia could lose political support for its campus expansion in West Harlem as a result. "If Columbia intends to expand and seek the cooperation of the neighborhood, then the university has to show that they are consistent with the community's concerns and desires and worthy of being the caretaker of the architectural heritage that exists around it," he said. Harry Schwartz, a member of the Coalition to Preserve the Morningside Brownstones—which residents formed in response to the University's demolition plans—said that he is encouraged by O'Donnell's vocal opposition. The Assembly member also copied preservationists and politicians, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Borough President Scott Stringer, on the letter. "That's a pretty strong stance for someone to take in public," said Schwartz, who lives at 115th and Morningside Drive. Council member Inez Dickens also wrote a letter to Bollinger in December 2009 calling on the University to "reconsider this decision and restore these buildings to their original condition." Multiple local politicians—including Congressman Charles Rangel and State Senator Bill Perkins—have written letters, which Schwartz shared with Spectator, to Robert Tierney, chair of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, requesting additional hearings. Dan Held, spokesperson for Columbia facilities, said in an email on Thursday, "We have met with the local community and local elected officials to discuss our demolition plans," but did not comment on specifics of the demolition timeline. "We anticipate completion of those plans in the near future," he said, adding, "We do not have specific development plans for the site at this time." In the last two weeks, concern over the buildings' future has increased for some residents on 115th Street who say they've noticed new activity on site. Two or three workers have been at 115th for the last two weeks, Schwartz said. "They seem to be reinforcing the scaffolding and hoisting planks. It looks like they're making preparations to tear them down. ... People feel that this is the beginning of the end," Schwartz said. Nancy Kricorian, another demolition opponent who lives on 115th Street, said that she has been working on this issue for over five years but feels that she and other frustrated residents have nearly exhausted their resources. Despite Held's claims of the University's interactions with the local neighborhood, Kricorian said, "Columbia is not communicating with us," she said, adding that she has resorted to other measures to find information. "I myself have peered through the door. ... People will try to tell the workers there to tell us what's going on." She said, "I don't know what else we can do short of chaining ourselves to the wrecking ball." O'Donnell's frustrations stem from a 15-year, and so far unsuccessful, attempt to push the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission to create a Morningside Heights historic district, which would make demolishing buildings in the district subject to city review. Elisabeth de Bourbon, spokesperson for the Landmarks Preservation Commission, said that the brownstones also did not meet the criteria to be individually landmarked, despite their recognition by the New York State Historic Preservation Office as "historic" in December 2008. She clarified that the LPC has legal authority in its regulation, while the national registry listing is more honorific. "It can be torn down on the national register but it can't be with ours," she said. At least one local, though, is more than ready to see the scaffolded structures razed. "I'm all for saving historical buildings, but those are not historic," said Doreen Mocha, who has lived across the street from the brownstones for almost 15 years. "The insides are a total mess, and it would take a fortune the put the buildings back to the way they were." news@columbiaspectator.com

A hostel on 103rd Street and Amsterdam may host visitors from around the globe today, but over a century ago, it was home to a very different crowd. This was the topic of discussion at a talk Thursday night led by Pam Tice, former executive director of Hostelling International New York, who presented the 103rd Street hostel's transition from its humble beginnings as a home for aged women to a widely used hostel for youth today. "I think knowing local history to me is just so important. So many people pass by this building every day and must wonder what a large Gothic Victorian building is doing on Amsterdam," Tice said in an interview on Thursday night at the hostel. Today, the Upper West Side landmarked hostel is the largest in North America, has a capacity of over 600 guests, and still maintains its Victorian style. Outlining the hostel's history at an event titled "Creating A Westside Landmark," Tice said, "Having worked here, I really wanted to do more research myself on what it was like to be a part of the home, and how did it work and when did they get started." The hostel was originally founded by four young women—Rachel Dunlap, Rachel Maynard, Mary Bingham, and Anne Church—as a home to help aged women avoid degrading "poorhouses," which were government-run housing complexes for needy residents, known for their poor conditions. "It was a group of women in the 1880s, when married women couldn't own property. In the midst of this time, women banded together to form an association like this. It was the women who were visiting patients themselves and doing the work," Tice said. Tice compared it to the abolitionist prohibition movements. "Women at this point were supposed to demonstrate that they were pious, that they were submissive. This charity work taught women how to cooperate with each other, how to take leadership positions, how to organize." Patrick Bennett, a Morningside resident attending the event, said the history of the hostel still has relevance today. "Building the elderly women's home definitely helped the women themselves get ahead," Bennett said. "I wouldn't want to tell a corporate woman today, 'You can't do things that you want to do,'" he joked. In the 1960s, the home was going to be torn down, but Columbia architecture student Fred Chapman got an assignment in a preservation class to find a structure to put on the national list of places to be preserved—right in time to stop the city from tearing it down. Peter Arndtsen, district manager of the Columbus/Amsterdam Business Improvement District, highlighted the importance of student activism in saving the hostel. "I think it's truly remarkable that the students were able to step in at a critical point and save the building. The impact of just three students was huge," Arndtsen said. For some attendees, preserving the neighborhood's history is a priority. "I like to see the old buildings of New York preserved," Bennett said. "We can learn a lot from these old buildings. It's a reminder of our history and helps us develop our future." news@columbiaspectator.com

After a string of legal troubles and property disputes for the vacant historic Metro Theater, a national retail chain and potential tenant has decided to take its business across the street. Urban Outfitters is scheduled to open its seventh store in Manhattan at 99th Street and Broadway this summer, the chain recently announced. This development comes after a drawn-out struggle for the trendy outlet to find space on the Upper West Side. In Jan. 2009, Urban announced it had leased space in the building that was once the Metro Theater, located on the east side of Broadway, between 99th and 100th streets. The deal fell through as litigation persisted between the building's general partner, Al Bialek, and John Souto, the net lessee who leased to Urban. Bialek had leased the space to Souto, who was responsible for some of the property's expenses. Though Souto leased to Urban, the store was not able to break ground as the landowner and lessee were stuck in litigation, Bialek said in January. Souto, Bialek, and representatives from Urban could be reached for comment after the recent news about the new location across the street. Since the litigation, Urban Outfitters has been released from their contractual obligations with the Metro Theater property and has begun construction on their new space across the street, said Amira Yunis, the real estate agent who represents the landlord, Hudson Island LLC, of the site on the west side of Broadway where Urban will move this summer. The Metro Theater remains vacant. "I think this is a better position for Urban," Yunis said, citing the landmark status of the Metro Theater property. That protection would have meant that Urban would have had to consult with the city before making certain architectural changes, she said. At the bottom of the 31-story Ariel West tower, the store will feature two floors and nearly 15,000 square feet of retail space for clothing and housewares. "It has a lot to do with the Columbia University setting," Yunis said of Urban's demographic, adding that the location will also allow the store to take advantage of the affluence and growing retail scene in the area. The Upper West Side is an "emerging, cutting-edge neighborhood," she said. Currently, the only Urban location on the Upper West Side is at 72nd Street and Broadway, and some patrons there said they were excited about a location farther uptown. Claudia Talamas, a student at City College at 135th Street who was returning a dress at the 72nd Street location, said, "I like the clothes because they're trendy and inexpensive." "I would definitely go [to the new location]," said Alexis Solorzano, who goes to high school on the Upper West Side. "It's a lot closer to where I live." For some longtime residents, the news of Urban's arrival speaks to a larger change in the neighborhood environment. Over the last year, many large stores have opened nearby, notably at the Columbus Square development between 97th and 100th Streets on Columbus Avenue, which includes a Whole Foods and a T.J. Maxx. Previously, the block had a diner and a small supermarket. "It's great—it's a neighborhood in transition, there are many new buildings," said Margaux Teil, a high school student shopping nearby. But the increase in big stores hasn't been a positive development for some residents, who have opposed the fast influx of retail and the rise of residential towers like Ariel East and West. Batya Lewton of the Coalition for a Livable West Side—a local group that has opposed out-of-context development—said, "The community does not need huge stores that cater to a limited population and not the neighborhood." Lewton, who grew up on the Upper West Side, said that years ago, "What you had were mom and pop businesses all along Broadway all the way up to 96th Street. ... With all the new stores we drove out all of the local businesses." news@columbiaspectator.com Correction: An earlier version of this article listed Bialek as the owner of the Metro, when in fact he is the president of Seavest Management Corporation, the General Partner. Spectator regrets the error.

A preliminary city plan to create a Morningside Heights Historic District could place significant checks on the University's development. The Landmarks Preservation Commission, the city agency that oversees and creates historic districts, is now pushing forward with a potential plan to designate Morningside Heights a historic region—in a proposed area where 43 of the 63 buildings are owned by Columbia. "Columbia is a very large landowner within Morningside Heights," said Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council, a nonprofit preservation group. "Should the LPC designate a district, then they would own a lot of landmark buildings, which they would not be able to tear down easily." Once an area is designated an historic district, most external changes to buildings—and any renovations or demolitions—have to be approved by the LPC. Local residents and elected officials have been pushing the LPC to consider the neighborhood for protection since 1996, arguing that its architectural history and variety are worth officially recognizing. In September, LPC officials proposed boundaries that stretched from 110th to 119th streets along Riverside Drive, which includes some Columbia dorms. The agency says the plan is not definitive and it is currently conducting further research. Getting approval for changes takes time, said Alexis Stephens, BC '05, of the Neighborhood Preservation Center, an advocacy group. "It would probably be something that would be a major hassle to them [Columbia]," she said. But Andrea Goldwyn, director of public policy for New York Landmarks Conservancy, said that designating the neighborhood wouldn't negatively impact the University. "It's not particularly onerous," she said of the LPC process. "You need to have maintenance, and Landmarks Commission process does add a layer of regulation, but it's also good guidance about what's best for the building to keep it safe and secure and continue to be a nice link to the neighborhood's history." For other activists, though, restricting the University is the point—something that Andrew Berman, the executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, emphasized. In overseeing its neighborhood's nine historic districts, his organization often works to restrict New York University's development goals. "It is by no means an all-encompassing action that means no change whatsoever in terms of a university and its position within a community, but obviously it's a significant layer of regulation which can go a long way in terms of conserving the physical fabric and scale of the neighborhood," Berman said. The University declined to comment on what impact a historic district would have on its operations and whether it would support a historic district or involve itself in the planning, referring only to a 2009 University statement. "We are certainly open to the study of an appropriately-defined district in the area," spokesperson Robert Hornsby said then, adding that Columbia "has long been a good steward of its valuable architectural legacy." For Stephens, this stance is typical. "I'm not surprised at all that they haven't been exactly transparent in their attitudes toward preservation." The LPC is also currently reviewing additional buildings outside of the proposed area. At a September LPC meeting in Riverside Church, Community Board 9 member Brad Taylor voiced concerns that the proposed area doesn't include Broadway and Morningside Drive. "There's got to be some politics at play. It can't just be based on merit," Taylor said. Lisi de Bourbon, an LPC spokesperson, said that the agency decided after the meeting to review some of the streets east of Broadway, though there is no timeline yet. Assemblymember Daniel O'Donnell, who has been at the forefront of the fight for years, said that he has not heard more from the LPC since September. "However, I'm hopeful that this delay means the LPC is taking into account the overwhelming community support for an expanded historic district and carefully designing its new map to match what the community so clearly wants," O'Donnell said in a statement. Sarah Darville contributed reporting. news@columbiaspectator.com

The gargoyles and bay windows of buildings on West End Avenue may soon have a new kind of legal protection. An effort was started in 2007 to declare a large portion of West End Avenue, just west of Broadway, a historic district. Neighborhood activists say that this effort, which would preserve the basic uniform character of 70th Street to 107th Street, is now making progress. Recognition as a historic district would mean that future demolition or construction on the avenue would have to go through the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission, a city agency that grants buildings and districts landmark status with legal authority. Supporters say that the movement has been relatively swift, though it is unclear when the process will actually be finished. "It could be one of the shortest turnarounds within the Commission ever—that's a testament to its obviousness as a worthy district and its lack of opposition," said Richard Emery, co-founder and president of the West End Preservation Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of West End Avenue. Currently, pockets of West End lie within two different recognized historic districts, including the Riverside-West End Historic District, which runs from 87th to 94th streets. But in March 2009, WEPS submitted a formal request to the LPC to evaluate a larger stretch of the Avenue for historic recognition. Lisi de Bourbon, an LPC spokesperson, said that the proposal is currently under review, though there is no specific timeline for its approval. Emery expressed confidence in the proposal's progress through the LPC process. "I think the proposal is on track," he said. "The LPC has been very responsive." Modern threats In order to develop a case for designation as a historic district, associate professor Andrew Dolkart, the director of the historic preservation program at Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, conducted a detailed study of West End's history and architecture. In the 260-page study, Dolkart, who was commissioned by WEPS to lead the study, concluded, "The buildings along this street are architecturally significant as major examples of upper-middle-class apartment houses, designed by some of the most important architects ... during the early decades of the twentieth century." He added, "The Avenue is also historically significant, illustrating a unique development pattern that turned a prosperous row-house street into an apartment boulevard in an extraordinarily rapid time frame." But West End's architecture has not been invulnerable to change. The Avenue saw four brownstones demolished in recent years, including two between 95th and 96th streets. In 2008, Extell Development Company announced plans for a 20-story residential building on the corner of 86th Street and West End, which is now open. While Extell promoted the structure as having "prewar elegance," some local residents haven't been shy about expressing their distaste for its out-of-context modern style. "It's a monstrosity," said David Clark, a resident of 925 West End, of the building on 86th Street. Maggie Lamee, who lives at 100th Street and West End, said of the new building, "There was a lot of talk when that went up." Erika Petersen, vice-president of WEPS, added, "It's ridiculous to call it 'pre-war.' All of us in the community are asking, 'Which war? Iraq?'" Preserving with limits Because the LPC's focus is on preservation, having to go through the commission can deter developers from submitting projects in the area. Critics of the push for more historic preservation districts across Manhattan argue that the city should not restrict change and new development. But WEPS members emphasize that the historical designation would not halt development entirely. "It wouldn't prevent overall development, but it would certainly prevent its excessiveness," Petersen said, adding that the construction and development process would become much more detailed for developers. Rosemary McGinn, who lives on Riverside Drive, recognized the desire for some change, but agreed that it must be limited. "We're not saying everything in this city has to be frozen in time," she said. In its quest for a historical designation, WEPS has also garnered support from several local politicians who support preservation efforts that keep development in check. New York State Assembly member Daniel O'Donnell advocates for building preservation throughout Morningside Heights and has called West End Avenue "one of the premier residential boulevards in New York City." "Preservation promotes neighborhood stability, protects the investments of owners and residents, encourages greater public appeal of new buildings, and boosts tourism," O'Donnell said in an email. Residents and preservationists also debate the economic impact of landmark recognition, which often drives up property values. "Economically, the historic district makes a lot of sense," Emery said. But that idea struck the wrong chord with resident Clark, who said it is difficult enough for new renters to enter the neighborhood. "My big objection is, if you make West End historical, it gives an opportunity to landlords to raise the prices. In that case, I am totally against it," he said. Roadblocks Though WEPS members say the effort is moving along efficiently, the process has not been without obstacles. New York City Council member Gale Brewer, who has been very active in preserving West End, said she hopes the LPC begins hearings within five months. These hearings mark the first official step of the process. O'Donnell said he was frustrated with the lack of action. "The Landmarks Preservation Commission continues to ignore the needs of this community. The Commission's inaction is inexcusable and it must immediately calendar hearings on both the West End Avenue and Morningside historic district proposals," he said in an email. De Bourbon, from the LPC said, "I know that the organization that submitted the proposal did so a while ago, so nonetheless we're still looking at it and it's under consideration." She added that the district must be studied and that it is not always easy to gather information on specific buildings. Activists also haven't always agreed on the boundaries of the proposal. On Feb. 3, Brewer wrote a letter to LPC Chair Robert Tierney, urging the authors of the West End proposal to include several additional buildings along 86th Street. This initiative, involving more buildings between West End and Broadway, has garnered support from some community members, but has caused concern for others. Emery said the inclusion of side streets in the district could delay the process. "These types of efforts often become sidetracked and fail because they get distracted from keeping their eye on the goal," he said. But Assembly member Linda Rosenthal said in a statement, "As long as it does not imperil or delay the entire designation proposal, I support the inclusion of the side streets." Ultimately, residents agreed that any protection the neighborhood obtains is important. Pointing to his own building, with an elaborate stone façade, Clark said, "What are you going to do, replace this with something that looks better?" news@columbiaspectator.com