Save the Date – East Village/Lower East Side Historic District Hearing – June 26

On Tuesday, June 26 the Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed East Village/Lower East Side Historic District. This historic district was proposed last year by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and its boundaries were extended after GVSHP and other community groups advocated to include sites like the Pyramid Club at 101 Avenue A and the former Third District Magistrates Court Building at the corner of Second Avenue & East 2nd Street that now houses Anthology Film Archives.

If designated this will be the largest historic district in the neighborhood, helping to ensure that the rich and diverse architectural and cultural heritage of the East Village is protected from inappropriate and out-of-scale development.  Examples of  such destruction include the former St. Ann’s Church on East 12th Street which was largely demolished to make way for a 26 story NYU dorm, and the demolition of 316 East 3rd Street, an early 19th century rowhouse recently demolished despite our efforts to have it designated as a landmark.

To learn more about landmarking, what it means, and to clear up common misconceptions please read these previous posts: Historic Preservation 101 and Landmarking 101.

The hearing on Tuesday, June 26 is a very important part of the process of having this district designated and it critical to show support.

You can show you support by attending the hearing at the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday June, 26 at 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. and testifying in favor of the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District. The hearing takes place at the Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street in the 9th Floor Hearing Room.  You can find sample testimony here. 

If you cannot attend the hearing please send a letter of support to the Landmarks Preservation Commission; you can use this sample letter.