Letter to Councilmember Simcha Felder, Chair of the Land Use Subcommittee of the NYC Council, Supporting Historic Designation for the Gansevoort Market
December
6, 2003
Honorable Simcha Felder
250 Broadway
New York, NY
Dear Councilmember Felder:
The Greenwich Village Block Associations (GVBA) is a community wide
coalition dedicated to preserving and improving the quality of life
for residents of
our historic community. One of the many reasons that Villagers choose to
live here is the ambiance created by our built environment. We are,
by preference
and inclination, acutely sensitive to and protective of our architectural
heritage.
The GVBA strongly urges you to ensure that the entire Gansevoort Market
Historic District is given landmarks protection. Gansevoort Market is a
unique, historic
neighborhood with a coherent identity and sense of place. Unfortunately,
the Landmarks Preservation Commission has already scaled back the boundaries
of
the district considerably — any further reduction would needlessly
reduce the atmosphere of the district and damage its historic fabric.
Landmarks law ensures that a property will survive and profit under designation — the
argument that it will somehow harm owners is a fallacy; indeed, we see time
and time again that property values flourish in historic districts. Most
of our block associations are located in the Greenwich Village Historic District
where different styles of architecture comprise a coherent community and
attract
visitors from all over the world. The value of Village property is continually
rising. Historic designation benefits those who cherish the architectural
integrity of a designated area but also those whose primary focus is economic.
Many worthy people have dedicated great time and energy to ensure that
this special neighborhood is preserved. Its potential designation has received
national
and international attention. For many years Villagers have hopefully anticipated
the historic designation of the waterfront section of our community. The
irreplaceable nature of the Gansevoort Market must be held in trust for
future generations
of New Yorkers and we rely on the New York City Council to ensure that
the entire area is protected. Not to do so would be an irreparable and
destructive
disappointment.
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