News Story

Ridhima Sharma | Word Count: 762

(Initial ideas: LPC announced five historic landmarks in Gowanus)

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On the morning of October 29, the sun shined a bit brighter on the Gowanus

neighbourhood as after decades of bureaucratic quandary concerned with the rezoning

process LPC finally designated five epitomes as historical landmarks. Considering that

the buildings survived to see the light, it barely seems like any time. The news provoked

mixed responses from preservationists and Gowanus residents.

“The five buildings designated on October 29, were the most intact, architecturally

distinctive and historically significant buildings in the area,” explained Zodet Negron

from LPC. “They are the only properties LPC found to be eligible for designation within

the rezoning area.”

Each of these five buildings designated by the LPC are significant representations of the

historic commercial buildings in the area and cater to the Gowanus community till date.

Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC), a part of the rezoning process of Gowanus,

vowed to safeguard the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company building known as the

Batcave, the Gowanus Canal Flushing Tunnel Pumping Station and Gate House, the

ASPCA Brooklyn Office, Shelter and Garage, the Montauk Paint Manufacturing

Company Building, and part of the former Somers Bros. Tinware Factory building.
The agency worked with the Department of City Planning, key stakeholders, and the

community to inform the planning process and identify preservation opportunities in

the neighbourhood.

The designation process started with the calendaring, the first formal step in the

designation process, which puts the proposed landmark/s officially on the calendar for

consideration by the Commission. These 5 buildings were calendared on June 25, 2019.

Once calendared, LPC holds a public hearing on the proposed designation, during which

the Commission hears testimony from the owners and the community.

Through the city’s rezoning’s community-based planning process, LPC received a

number of requests for evaluation from community members and advocacy groups. It

evaluated all of those properties, and conducted its own surveys to identify historic

resources and potential landmarks. The public hearing for the Gowanus buildings held

on September 24, 2019 where LPC received supportive testimony from the community,

building owners, and elected officials in person and in writing.

The hearing was followed by a public meeting during which the Commission discussed

the buildings with the owner and other stakeholders and voted to designate them. In

this case, LPC prioritized the designation of these buildings as part of the

Administration’s multi-agency effort to plan for Gowanus’ future.

One of the residents stated in the Public meeting that they were happy about the

decision, but said they felt more needs to be done. Interestingly their view seems to

resonate with other preservation committees.

“We are very pleased that the Commission has acted upon these buildings prior to the

rezoning,” stated Simeon Bankoff, the executive director of the Historic District Council

a preservation organization, fearing that the rezoning would greatly alter the

neighbourhood’s urban environment. “There are still many more buildings in the area

which should be designated in to order to better preserve the neighbourhood’s history

and distinct sense of place.”

While these five landmarks survived a terrible fate, one major historical building of

Gowanus which was razed to ground on this Labor Day.

“LPC was going to evaluate the S.W. Bowne Grain Storehouse when an unfortunate fire

occurred so we held off pending the results of the FDNY investigation. In addition, LPC

learned that the owner of the building had already secured a demolition permit from

DOB for the property when we were going to evaluate it. Designation would not

invalidate a previously issued DOB permit.” justified Zodet. Sadly however the

waterway’s most visible 19th-century industrial building would no longer be a part of

Gowanus’ future.
Gowanus rezoning process, which is under progress has been scrutiny by residents,

activists and elected officials is expected to bring a paradigmatic shift in the history of

this neighbourhood.

“This is a profound change which will have far-reaching effects. It also is ill-advised,

given the very real environmental concerns in the area.” Citing that the rezoning

proposes to inalterably transform Gowanus from a low-rise industrial area into a

medium- to high-rise residential, Bankoff asserted, “Regardless of any discussion of

mixed-use development in the planning documents, the intention of the plan is to

change the area into one which will be typified by modern, high-rise buildings used to

house people, not industry. ”

“People don’t even know about the industrial history and importance of this place”

charged Linda Mariano, cofounder of the Gowanus Landmarking Coalition. “It should

be made an honorary!”

Keywords:
Gowanus Rezoning process, historical landmarks, preservation

References:
https://ny.curbed.com/2019/10/29/20938207/gowanus-buildings-lpc-officially-city-
landmarks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE6SRkWDKa0&t=17266s
https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/10/29/city-landmarks-5-gowanus-buildings-but-
advocates-push-for-more/
https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/04/26/fix-the-environment-before-rezoning-
gowanus-activists-say/
https://www.brownstoner.com/architecture/landmarks-preservation-commission-gowanus-
batcave-american-can-aspca-pumping-station/
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/lpc/designations/designations.page