Should P.S. 186, the turn-of-the-century classical Italianate-style building on 145th Street, receive landmark status and be protected from demolition? A special committee within Community Board 9 met last night to determine if they would make such a recommendation to the New York City Landmarks Commission, who would ultimately need to review and approve such a designation. According to a Manhattanville resident who took notes for us, this local deliberation attracted a strong and interested crowd, with latecomers standing along the walls and the hallways of the small rented room in the penthouse of the Broadway Houses at 583 Riverside Drive. Notable attendees included Paimaan Lodhi, the urban planner from Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's office, as well as the unexpected arrival of renowned Harlem historian Michael Henry Adams.
Committee Chair Walter South presented a convincing case when articulating the significance of the structure, designed by noted Superintendent of School Buildings C.B.J. Snyder. Yet several in the room questioned whether protecting P.S. 186 via landmark status would save it from the bulldozers of the politically connected Mannie Wilson Boys and Girls Club, a community group that currently controls the building and has plans to demolish it to make way for income-generating residential units. Attendees of last night's meeting raised eyebrows about the club's intentions, given that the group failed to live up to its pledge to the city to restore the building within the three years of purchasing it. One frustrated Hamilton Heights resident mentioned that he has lived around the corner from the school for over 30 years and has not once known a boy or girl ever attend or benefit from said Boys and Girls Club, wondering aloud if the group's sentimental stated purpose of serving children was merely a facade.
In the end, CB9 voted 8 to 1 in favor of preservation, with all voting community members in attendance raising their hands in unanimous agreement. Read more about the 23 year battle to save this 107 year old historic site: LINK. Photo by Ulysses
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
☞ PROTECT: CB9 Seeks to Landmark P.S. 186
Should P.S. 186, the turn-of-the-century classical Italianate-style building on 145th Street, receive landmark status and be protected from demolition? A special committee within Community Board 9 met last night to determine if they would make such a recommendation to the New York City Landmarks Commission, who would ultimately need to review and approve such a designation. According to a Manhattanville resident who took notes for us, this local deliberation attracted a strong and interested crowd, with latecomers standing along the walls and the hallways of the small rented room in the penthouse of the Broadway Houses at 583 Riverside Drive. Notable attendees included Paimaan Lodhi, the urban planner from Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's office, as well as the unexpected arrival of renowned Harlem historian Michael Henry Adams.
Committee Chair Walter South presented a convincing case when articulating the significance of the structure, designed by noted Superintendent of School Buildings C.B.J. Snyder. Yet several in the room questioned whether protecting P.S. 186 via landmark status would save it from the bulldozers of the politically connected Mannie Wilson Boys and Girls Club, a community group that currently controls the building and has plans to demolish it to make way for income-generating residential units. Attendees of last night's meeting raised eyebrows about the club's intentions, given that the group failed to live up to its pledge to the city to restore the building within the three years of purchasing it. One frustrated Hamilton Heights resident mentioned that he has lived around the corner from the school for over 30 years and has not once known a boy or girl ever attend or benefit from said Boys and Girls Club, wondering aloud if the group's sentimental stated purpose of serving children was merely a facade.
In the end, CB9 voted 8 to 1 in favor of preservation, with all voting community members in attendance raising their hands in unanimous agreement. Read more about the 23 year battle to save this 107 year old historic site: LINK. Photo by Ulysses
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Harlem has so many architectural treasures that need protection. Once these buildings are lost they will never be replaced. The old photos listed on this site remind of us of what has been lost over time and what has thankfully survived. One problem is these buildings become mired in red tape or fall into the hands of groups whose agenda is anything but preservation, and as time passes these buildings slowly crumble and decay only to become condemned, think of the corn exchange. Thanks for keeping us updated.
ReplyDeleteI agree, i love harlem and it has so much character. It just needs us the people who live there to spruce it up a bit. This building is beautiful and needs to be saved. I walk by there everyday and picture what it could be. I am going to try n do my part. Can we get a section on buildings that are abandoned in harlem. Raise some light to the problem. - Ag
ReplyDeleteAnother building falling into decay is the Renaissance Ballroom owned by Abysinnian. This church sits on this building and instead of selling to a developer for mixed use market rate condos, will sit on it until it decays because they only want poor people to use it. Really smart. Many churches in Harlem are racist and sit on property to serve their own agenda.
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