Your Neighborhood — Your News® February 9, 2020
LOCAL
CL ASSIFIEDS
PA GE 14
HP street could be the 13th
historic district in the Bronx
A panorama shot of Manida Street in Hunts Point. Manida Street was calendared by the Landmark Preservation Commission
for designation of a historic district last week. If approved, it will make the street the 13th historic district in the Bronx.
Photo by Kyle Vuille/Schneps Media
BY KYLE VUILLE
The Landmark Preservation
Commission took the fi rst steps
in declaring another Bronx neighborhood
as a historic district last
week.
On Friday, January 21, the LPC
approved to calendar the declaration
of Manida Street in Hunts
Point as landmark worthy, passing
the fi rst hurdle in the process.
If the street is makes the grade it
will be the 13th in the borough.
The two rows of semi-attached
Renaissance Revival fashioned
houses between Lafayette and
Garrison avenues in the bustling
industrial Hunts Point were once
a part of the town of West Farms.
West Farms was a rural area
comprised of wealthy Westchester
families living in ornate mansions
before the area was annexed to the
city in 1874.
Many of the area’s streets were
named for these early landowners.
Once industrialists and market
traders capitalized on Hunts Point
attractive freight terminals and
waterfront access, the area grew
exponentially.
After the manufacturing industry
and the market was booming
in the area, residential developments
were needed for to house
the well-paid workers.
Two developers and two architect
fi rms, Daub & Kreymborg and
James F. Meehan, split the work
between the east and west sides of
Manida so there are tiny details
that illustrate the differences in
design. The 42 houses that line
the street were completed in 1907
to 1908.
Maria Torres, president of ‘The
Point’ on Garrison Avenue owns
one of the semi-attached historic
homes.
Torres has lived on Manida for
at least 25 years, but knows some
neighbors who have been there
since the mid 1950s.
“My house was probably renovated
in the mid 80s, early 90s, but
a lot of people on the block have
lived in them for decades,” Torres
said.
Torres explained the campaign
to make the block a historic district
was sparked by developers
buying up properties for largescale
projects.
The neighborhood was left
with two options: ask to downzone
the neighborhood, which according
to Torres, would have been extremely
costly or push for the historic
district designation.
“A lot of these residents are
paying attention and we think
this is the best way to protect ourselves,”
Torres said. “We’re just
trying to keep the block the way it
is, and not end up looking like every
other block.”
The Bronx Times spoke to a
few residents of Manida who had
no idea their house could become
part of a historic district.
“I like this street just the way
it is,” one resident said. “It’s very
quiet and sleepy for this area.”
With the street now calendared
for designation, the next steps
taken by the LPC will be to hold
a public hearing with a notice of
three weeks in advance, which
will include letters sent out to all
the homeowners.
If there is enough support from
the residents and the public, the
decision will be brought back to
the LPC for further discussion
and then be voted on.
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