Proposal for Designating Significant Resources

Having identified the significant resources worthy of landmark status in the Study Area, the following steps should be taken towards landmark designation: making our research available to the public, both on the internet for academic and professional use, and for promotion through themed events and walking tours; signaling the significant resources to advocacy groups such as the Historic Districts Council or the Municipal Art Society; preparing landmark nomination forms for submission to local, state, and national registers; and organizing letter writing campaigns in defense of the significant resources.

Engaging the building owner in the process is also instrumental to the success of any designation campaign. Without owner consent, the designation process can become marred by legal difficulties or even halted altogether by an owner’s insensitive efforts to prevent designation through defacing or demolishing their building.

1. 154-160 West 14th Street, with polychrome terra cotta ornamentation.

Example: 154-160 West 14th Street

One historic resource that would benefit from public and owner education is 154-160 West 14th Street, a polychrome terra cotta loft building located on the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue (Figure 1). Not only is the building currently deteriorating, there is the likelihood that the owner will strip the ornament from the entire façade in order to prevent violation of Local Law 11 in the most economical way possible. By educating the building owner about the building’s importance and the benefits deriving from landmark status (such as grants and tax incentives for historic rehabilitation), he or she would hopefully become more inclined to support a designation campaign as well as maintain the building.