St. Michael’s Church at 225 West 99th street is up for designation as a landmark.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted this week to put St. Michael’s Church on 99th street and the IRT Powerhouse on 59th street and 11th avenue on the fast track for landmark status.
The LPC reviewed the properties as part of a plan to review its backlog of applications — some landmarks have been sitting in limbo for decades without any action by the commission. The LPC wanted to determine which ones were worthy of designation, and which should be taken off the list.
While some preservationists bemoaned the fact that 65 properties out of 95 were taken off the pending landmarks list, both of the UWS properties on the list were accepted as likely landmarks.
St. Michael’s Church on Amsterdam Avenue and 99th street was chosen as a likely landmark. The church’s leader and congregation have expressed support for landmarking the sanctuary, but not other buildings on the campus, because they want to be able to update the buildings. Councilman Mark Levine and Landmarks West have pushed for the whole campus to be landmarked.
Con Edison has opposed plans to landmark the IRT Powerhouse on 11th Avenue between 58th and 59th street, built between 1900 and 1904, because “a landmark designation would make it would make it harder for us to operate and modify the station,” a spokesman told us when we profiled the building. Preservationists are concerned that Con Ed will sell the building to a developer — the company sold another power plant on the East side for $630 million in 1997.
This isn’t a done deal yet; the LPC will be considering landmarks status for the buildings in the coming months.
While Landmarks West hailed the decisions on the two UWS sites, the group criticized the process:
The votes showcase the powerful influence of owner opposition and politics on landmarks and other land-use decisions – overtly acknowledged in many cases by the LPC’s own staff report. By allowing political concerns to TRUMP decisions on the merits, the LPC dropped the proverbial house on dozens of worthy sites, and on the Landmarks Law, too.
Not noted in the article above is the salient fact that the IRT Powerhouse under consideration was designed by STANFORD WHITE (the renowned 19th Century architect…look it up). An important fact when weighing its landmark worthiness.
Speaking of Saint Michael’s, on Monday there will be an organ concert in a series in memory of Jean Chambers that was established by her husband John. West Side Rag’s coverage of her death drew a lot of attention to the reckless traffic on the West Side which was greatly appreciated by me, for one.
Jean Chambers Organ Concert Series presents Jonathan Dimmock Monday, February 29
Grammy Award winning musician and internationally known organ recitalist Jonathan Dimmock has held musical posts at Westminster Abbey (London), and three American cathedrals: St. John the Divine (New York), St. Mark’s (Minneapolis), and Grace (San Francisco). He is currently the organist for the San Francisco Symphony, has recorded more than 35 CDs, and has toured widely on five continents. His concert at St. Michael’s will be on Monday, February 29th at 7:30pm. Admission is $20.
Talking about Landmarks – When are they going to take the ugly, unsightful, abandoned Metro Theatre off the Landmark list. How long do we have to endure this disgusting façade.
! Y a Y !
It’s great that St. Michael’s will be landmarked. However, the Commission should absolutely allow the church leeway to make necessary renovations to the parish house and rectory. For example, the parish house lacks handicapped access and that needs to be added. No one should fear that the St. Michael’s clergy, vestry, or parishioners wish to damage the historic structures or radically change their appearance.
Quite honestly how many more luxury apt. buildings do we need in Manhattan. I moved to NYC in 1977 (back in the bad old days when people were moving out of the city in droves.
I understand that as much as I would like things to remain the same; sometimes change is necessary. However, building bigger and higher buildings that only the super rich can live in does not add character to the City.
When I first moved to NYC, one of the things I loved the most was the unique character of each neighborhood. Little Italy (which is only a few stores) is all but gone.
The Upper West Side is big box, and fungible stores. All the interesting, quirky places like Big Nicks are gone and will never come back.
When stores like Fairway and Food Emporium have difficulty surviving because of costs, what are the rest of us to do.
Neighborhoods should have a mix of people from different ethnic backgrounds and economic levels. We shouldn’t have “poor doors” and gated community style living in NYC. That’s not what NYC is all about, and certainly, that is not what makes people want to visit NYC.