NEW YORK—Tension rose this Tuesday during a Landmark Preservation public hearing as many expressed strong opinions over whether 45–47 Park Place—the proposed building site for a mosque near ground zero—should be granted historical landmark designation.
The Landmark Preservation Commission opened public hearings before it takes a vote later this summer on whether the proposed site, a Renaissance Italian palazzo-style building from the mid 1800s, meets the standard for historical landmark status.
If given status, the Commission will need to approve all changes concerning the exterior of the building.
The hearings, however, often touched more on the approval or disapproval for the proposed $100 million mosque rather than the building itself. The recent debate has stirred much discussion.
One of the speakers, writer, historian, and activist Michael Henry Adams, cautioned that landmark status has in the past been misused for different political reasons.
“45–47 Park Place is a representative of Italianate style of architecture, a handsome building, but not unique,” said Valerie Lucznikowska from September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows and former executive director of the Congress of Modern Architects. Lucznikowska urged the Commission to make their decision based on the true merits of the design rather than focus on the proposal to demolish the building for a Muslim Community Center and Mosque.
Former New York State representative and candidate for governor, Rick Lazio urged the Commission to grant the building landmark status, saying that it has “for twenty years it stood in limbo.” “There are questions that need to be answered. There are very reasonable issues that have been raised” said Lazio in reference to the proposed mosque, referring in part to the source of its funding.
Historian Nathan Riddle expressed that in his opinion, the building does not have a particular special character. “It is typical and the same as any building from the 1850s. [There are] no design elements that are extraordinary,” he said.
New York resident Barbara Paolucci expressed that in her opinion, all of the older buildings should be preserved. “It’s one hundred and fifty years old, it will never be built again,” said Paolucci. She would like to see the building be turned into a museum for 9/11 due to its proximity to the site.
The Landmark Preservation Commission opened public hearings before it takes a vote later this summer on whether the proposed site, a Renaissance Italian palazzo-style building from the mid 1800s, meets the standard for historical landmark status.
If given status, the Commission will need to approve all changes concerning the exterior of the building.
The hearings, however, often touched more on the approval or disapproval for the proposed $100 million mosque rather than the building itself. The recent debate has stirred much discussion.
One of the speakers, writer, historian, and activist Michael Henry Adams, cautioned that landmark status has in the past been misused for different political reasons.
“45–47 Park Place is a representative of Italianate style of architecture, a handsome building, but not unique,” said Valerie Lucznikowska from September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows and former executive director of the Congress of Modern Architects. Lucznikowska urged the Commission to make their decision based on the true merits of the design rather than focus on the proposal to demolish the building for a Muslim Community Center and Mosque.
Former New York State representative and candidate for governor, Rick Lazio urged the Commission to grant the building landmark status, saying that it has “for twenty years it stood in limbo.” “There are questions that need to be answered. There are very reasonable issues that have been raised” said Lazio in reference to the proposed mosque, referring in part to the source of its funding.
Historian Nathan Riddle expressed that in his opinion, the building does not have a particular special character. “It is typical and the same as any building from the 1850s. [There are] no design elements that are extraordinary,” he said.
New York resident Barbara Paolucci expressed that in her opinion, all of the older buildings should be preserved. “It’s one hundred and fifty years old, it will never be built again,” said Paolucci. She would like to see the building be turned into a museum for 9/11 due to its proximity to the site.
