The Landmarks Preservation Commission

The Landmarks Preservation Commission
Name	Landmarks Preservation Commission
Formed	1965
Jurisdiction	New York City
Headquarters	New York City Hall
Parent agency	New York City Department of City Planning

The Landmarks Preservation Commission is the municipal agency charged with identifying, designating, and regulating New York City landmarks, historic districts, and interior and scenic landmarks in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. Created in the wake of the demolition of Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963), the commission's work intersects with preservation advocates, real estate developers, elected officials, and cultural institutions such as the New-York Historical Society, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its decisions affect properties associated with figures like Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, I. M. Pei, Frederick Law Olmsted, and events such as the Great Depression-era building of public works and the 1964 New York World's Fair.

History

The agency was established after high-profile preservation battles that involved institutions including the Municipal Arts Society, the Landmarks Conservancy, and civic leaders such as Robert Moses and Mayor John Lindsay. The commission's origins are linked to legal developments including the New York City Charter revisions and municipal responses to the loss of Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963), prompting alliances with figures from the Historic Districts Council and scholars from Columbia University and New York University. Early designations encompassed sites tied to Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and architectural works by McKim, Mead & White, Cass Gilbert, and Richard Morris Hunt, leading to interactions with courts including the New York Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court over landmarking authority and property rights.

Organization and Administration

The commission comprises a panel of appointed commissioners who coordinate with the New York City Mayor, the New York City Council, and agencies such as the New York City Department of Buildings, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Foundation, and the Department of City Planning. Staffed by preservation planners, legal counsel, and research historians, the agency consults primary sources from the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress, and the archives of institutions like the Brooklyn Historical Society and Columbia University's Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library. Administrative procedures reference municipal codes, interact with case law from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and coordinate review with neighborhood groups including the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and the Brooklyn Heights Association.

Designation and Criteria

Designation considers architectural significance, historical association, and neighborhood context, evaluating works by architects such as Stanford White, Philip Johnson, Gustave Eiffel, Bertram Goodhue, and designers like Olmsted, Vaux and Co.. Criteria include connections to events like the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Harlem Renaissance, or ties to individuals such as Alexander Hamilton, Langston Hughes, A. Philip Randolph, and Fiorello La Guardia. The process often involves nomination by preservation organizations, resolutions from community boards like Community Board 1 (Manhattan), and input from academic bodies including the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Preservation and Regulation Processes

Once designated, properties require certificates of appropriateness for exterior alterations, changes that trigger review under regulations influenced by precedents set in litigation involving parties like Penn Central Transportation Co. and municipal actors. Enforcement interacts with inspections by the New York City Department of Buildings, compliance monitored alongside landmarks easement agreements held by entities such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and trusts administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for transit-related structures. Regulatory practice also addresses adaptive reuse projects similar to conversions seen at High Line (New York City), the rehabilitation of warehouses in Dumbo, Brooklyn, and the restoration of sites like Grand Central Terminal.

Notable Designations and Controversies

The commission has designated iconic sites including Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty National Monument, Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Terminal, St. Patrick's Cathedral (Manhattan), and historic districts such as Greenwich Village Historic District and Brooklyn Heights Historic District. Controversies have arisen over decisions affecting the New York Daily News Building, the Seagram Building, redevelopment of Herald Square, and proposals impacting Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and South Street Seaport. High-profile disputes involved developers like Tishman Speyer and community campaigns led by organizations such as the Municipal Art Society of New York and the Alliance for Downtown New York, sometimes culminating in litigation referencing constitutional claims and precedents from the Supreme Court of the United States.

Public Engagement and Education

The commission conducts public hearings, walking tours, and publishes research in collaboration with museums and universities including The Cooper Union, Pratt Institute, Barnard College, and New York University. Outreach initiatives engage civic groups such as the Landmarks Preservation Commission Advisory Board, neighborhood preservationists from SoHo Alliance, and cultural educators from institutions like Lincoln Center and the New York Botanical Garden. Educational programs draw on scholarship about architects Robert A. M. Stern, Eero Saarinen, and Philip Johnson and aim to connect audiences to histories embodied in places like Coney Island, Harlem, Lower East Side, and Upper West Side.

Category:Historic preservation in the United States