Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation explained

Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
Headquarters:New York, New York, U.S.
Formation:1980

Village Preservation (formerly the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, or GVSHP) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the architectural preservation and cultural preservation in several neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Founded in 1980, it has advocated for New York City designated landmark status for a variety of sites like the Stonewall Inn and Webster Hall. The organization and its Executive Director, Andrew Berman, have been described as influential in New York real estate, while some of its activities to prevent development and to support restrictive zoning have attracted criticism.

History

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation was founded in 1980 as the Greenwich Village Trust for Historic Preservation (GVT). In 1982, Regina Kellerman, a prominent architectural historian and co-founder of GVT, was named as its first executive director, and GVT moved its operations to the Salmagundi Club at 47 Fifth Avenue. In 1984, GVT changed its name to Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, and began using the brand "Village Preservation" in 2019.[1] Since 1999, GVSHP has operated from the Neighborhood Preservation Center, the former rectory of St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, on East 11th Street, and increased its focus on the East Village since moving its office to that neighborhood.

The organization has been characterized as a NIMBY ("not in my back yard") group.[2] [3] [4]

In the early 2000s, the organization sought to prevent owners of 13 old rowhouses from demolishing the houses or altering them.[5] The organization also called for historical landmark status for buildings in the Southeast of Greenwich Village.[6] The organization has also called for "downzoning" neighbourhoods, which means the imposition of more restrictive zoning regulations in neighborhoods.[7] [8]

In late 2000s, the organization opposed a proposed expansion of St. Vincent Catholic Medical Center, a hospital in Greenwich Village,[9] with Andrew Berman arguing that the plan would be "a blow to the distinctive historic character of Greenwich Village."[10] The hospital said that the plan would modernize its facility, enabling it to provide effective medical care and to improve the financial situation of the hospital. The proposed development entailed the demolishment of nine buildings to construct the hospital along with a high-rise apartment tower.[11] The Landmarks Preservation Commissioners of New York City unanimously opposed the hospital expansion plans and the project was not pursued, which prompted a celebration by GVSHP. In 2010, St. Vincent's filed for bankruptcy and closed down, laying off more than 1,000 staff members.[12] [13] The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation said that it had "support[ed] the hospital to the best of our ability" and had provided the hospital with a "community alternative plan" to re-build and modernize.[14]

In the 2010s, the organization sought to block new construction on the Gansevoort Street, where low-rise meatpacking buildings stand. The organization also sought to block housing developments near Hudson River Park.[15] [16] The organization was involved in lawsuits to prevent New York University from expanding its campus in New York City.[17] The organization also fought for historic landmark status for buildings owned by New York University, which would have prevented re-development by the university of the buildings.[18] In 2011, GVSHP was among the neighborhood critics of the owners of a Mexican restaurant in Greenwich Village that painted over the faded signage above the entrance of the venue that once housed the "Fat Black Pussycat Theatre", a club that hosted Bob Dylan, Mama Cass Elliot, Richie Havens and other famous entertainers in the 1950s and 1960s.[19] [20]

In 2020s, the organization advocated against rezoning of SoHo and NoHo to allow construction of thousands of new apartments with a small share at below-market rents. The plan was rejected by the Community Board by a 49-1 vote.[21] In 2020, New York mayor Bill De Blasio proposed a rezoning plan for SoHo that would allow construction of 3,200 new housing units, 25% of which would be designated as affordable housing, while protecting existing rent-controlled properties.[22] [23] " GVSHP said that the construction of new housing would raise prices and make the wealthy neighborhood of SoHo less diverse. Andrew Berman stated, "This upzoning approach of super luxury towers with a small set-aside for affordable units is bad for New York City, bad for our neighborhoods, and bad for affordability,”

In 2021, the New York City Council voted to approve the construction of 3,500 housing units (one quarter of which was devoted to affordable housing) in SoHo and NoHo in a 43-5 vote. Village Preservation lobbied against the construction project.[24]

Work

GVSHP holds a number of events, such as lectures, walking tours, panel discussions, and house tours. The organization's primary annual fundraiser is the Village House Tour, held on the first Sunday each May. Its major members’ event is the Village Awards and Annual Meeting in June.[25]

Landmarks designation efforts

Although a large portion of the Village was designated in 1969 as part of the Greenwich Village Historic District, many buildings outside the district's boundaries are unprotected. During the decade between 2003 and 2013, GVSHP helped secure landmark designation of over 1,250 buildings, as well as community-scaled "contextual rezonings" of nearly 100 blocks.[26]

Among their notable accomplishments are the listing of the Stonewall Inn on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 and designation as part of the Stonewall National Monument in 2016, the first U.S. national monument or city landmark based upon LGBT history.[27] Their other accomplishments include landmark designation for the Meatpacking District and most of the South Village; the first extensions of the Greenwich Village Historic District since 1969; first-of-their-kind landmark designation of sites such as Webster Hall, I.M. Pei's Silver Towers, and the former Bell Laboratories Building/Westbeth Artist Housing, and saving homes and studios of artists such as Frank Stella and Willem de Kooning from demolition.

Some of its more notable efforts include:

Selected honors and awards

Research and Resources

Historic districts

The following designated historic districts fall within the society's purview, followed by the year in which they were designated in parentheses:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Introducing Village Preservation . EV Grieve . 7 August 2019.
  2. Web site: Sachmechi. Natalie. 2021-03-09. Experts blast 'misleading' report attacking SoHo rezoning plan. 2021-07-28. Crain's New York Business. en.
  3. Web site: Zimmerman. Alex. 2015-10-19. Gansevoort Street Proposal (Finally) Brings Cries of 'NIMBY' to Meatpacking District. 2021-07-28. The Village Voice.
  4. Web site: Jones. Orion. 2021-01-04. Open NY Brings New Brand of Yimby to New York City. 2021-08-03. The Real Deal New York. en-US.
  5. Web site: Villagers fight for landmark status of federal period buildings. Free Online Library. 2021-07-28. Real Estate Weekly. 2003-07-30.
  6. Web site: Trying to Save Part of Edward Hopper's New York. 2021-07-28. Intelligencer. en-us.
  7. Web site: Li. Ronald. 2009-11-23. City Plans To Rezone Far West Village. 2021-07-28. Observer. en-US.
  8. Web site: Lombino. David. September 19, 2005. Developer Seeks To Ease Restrictions in Far West Village. 2021-07-28. The New York Sun. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210728152924/https://www.nysun.com/new-york/developer-seeks-to-ease-restrictions-in-far-west/20192/. 2021-07-28.
  9. Web site: Del Signore. John. 2008-04-01. St. Vincent's Plans for New Greenwich Village Hospital. 2021-08-02. Gothamist. en.
  10. News: Collins. Glenn. 2008-04-01. Beloved Hospital's Plans Cause Furor in the Village. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-08-02. 0362-4331.
  11. News: Collins. Glenn. 2008-05-07. Building Proposal by Greenwich Village Hospital Is Rejected. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-08-02. 0362-4331.
  12. Web site: Hartocollis. Anemona. 2010-04-19. Layoffs Announced at St. Vincent's. 2021-08-02. City Room. en-US.
  13. News: 2010-04-15. St. Vincent's Files for Bankruptcy. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-08-02. 0362-4331.
  14. Web site: 2017-02-02. St. Vincent's Closing. 2021-08-02. WESTVIEW NEWS. en-US.
  15. News: Foderaro. Lisa W.. 2013-08-12. Preservationists Have Concerns About Plan to Sell Hudson River Park's Air Rights. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-07-28. 0362-4331.
  16. Web site: Spokony. Sam. Community confronts park air rights issue as Cuomo O.K.'s bill. 26 June 2015. The Villager. 14 November 2013 .
  17. News: Vilensky. Mike. 2013-12-26. 'Sizzling' Brooklyn Gets NYU Engineers. en-US. The Wall Street Journal. 2021-08-02. 0099-9660.
  18. Web site: Smith. Stephen Jacob. 2013-05-07. You Win Some, You Lose Some: NYU Checked in South Village, Approved for Expansion in NoHo. 2021-08-02. Observer. en-US.
  19. Web site: Gootman. Elissa. 2011-06-07. In Greenwich Village, the Signs They Are A-Changin'. 2021-08-03. City Room. en-US.
  20. News: Rutkoff . Aaron . June 8, 2011 . In Greenwich Village, Paint Makes Old Sign History . The Wall Street Journal.
  21. Web site: July 26, 2021. Community board votes against SoHo/NoHo rezoning plan. 2021-07-28. ny1.com. en.
  22. Web site: Stephen Rex. Brown. Michael. Gartland. March 5, 2021. Mayor de Blasio's SoHo rezoning plan will make NYC neighborhood less affordable: report. 2021-08-03. Daily News. New York.
  23. News: Slotnik. Daniel E.. 2020-10-08. The Future of Wealthy SoHo. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-08-03. 0362-4331.
  24. Web site: Lewis . Danny . 2021-12-15 . New York City Council Gives SoHo/NoHo Rezoning A Thumbs Up . 2022-03-28 . Gothamist . en.
  25. Web site: Amateau. Albert. Society honors butcher, boats, bookstore, B.B.C., burial ground. The Villager. 19 June 2014 . 26 June 2015.
  26. Web site: Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. Mission and History. 2019-08-07.
  27. Web site: June 24, 2015. New York City Makes Stonewall Inn a Landmark. August 28, 2019. The New York Times.
  28. Web site: New York City . Webster Hall and Annex . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150122105632/http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/reports/websterhall.pdf . January 22, 2015 . March 18, 2008.
  29. Web site: University Village (Silver Towers) . NYC Urbanism . February 26, 2018 . August 2, 2021.
  30. Web site: Wachs . Audrey . 5 January 2017 . Just when we need it most, a new map charts social justice history in lower Manhattan . The Architect's Newspaper . 7 August 2019.
  31. Web site: East Village Building Blocks . Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation . 7 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190917231251/https://www.gvshp.org/buildingblocks/ . 17 September 2019.
  32. Web site: Greenwich Village Historic District, 1969-2019: Photos and Tours . 7 August 2019.
  33. Web site: Immersive Village History in your Pocket: Google Arts & Culture . Fleischmann . Laura . 3 July 2019 . 7 August 2019.

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