Air rights deal for St. Marks Place rejected
BY ALEJANDRA
O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
Community Board 3’s Land Use
committee rejected an air rights
transfer application from developers
wanting to build a 10-story offi ce
building at 3 St. Marks Place.
In June, Real Estate Equities Corporation
was given the green light by
the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission
to buy $4 million worth of air
rights from the landmarked building
across the street, the Hamilton-Holly
House, former home of Alexander and
Holly Hamilton.
If REEC were to buy the air rights of
Hamilton-Holly House, it would allow
them to increase fl oor space by 20 percent,
further expanding ‘Silicon Alleys’
borders, opponents said.
After approval from the commission,
the developers formally entered the
city’s Uniform Land Use Review Process
( ULURP) the fi rst step of which is
community board vetting.
Although community board’s are advisory
entities that can not actually stop
a project from progressing, the vote refl
ects the communities contempt for the
project. The vote against the transfer
was unanimous. Many of those in opposition,
including preservation group,
Rendering of 3 St. Marks Place development.
did not agree with the public benefi t
that the REEC was offering with the
transfer.
As part of the deal, $200,000 of the
$4 million would go towards maintaining
the landmark in perpetuity.
“The feeling was universal that it was
not a worthwhile trade,” said Andrew
Berman, executive director of Village
preservation. The meeting hosted a
healthy turnout from the preservationist
group, Berman said.
Community Board 3 will hold its
full-board meeting on Dec. 19. After
the full-board votes on the air rights
transfer, the resolution will be sent to
be sent for consideration by Manhattan
Borough President Gale Brewer.
Sing a song for landmarking of Tin Pan bldgs.
BY GABE HERMAN
The city’s Landmarks Preservation
Commission (LPC) this
week offi cially designated fi ve
historic buildings on West 28th Street
that were part of the legendary Tin Pan
Alley for sheet music publishers.
The fi ve adjacent buildings, between
Broadway and Sixth Avenue, are buildings
number 47, 49, 51, 53 and 55 on
the block. They are Italianate-style row
houses and were all built between 1839
and 1859.
Tin Pan Alley was the center of
music publishing in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries. Its name was
given around 1903 and was based on
the racket of piano music that could be
heard throughout the street. Famous
songs that came from the block included
“God Bless America” and “Take Me
Out to the Ball Game.”
The LPC said that Tin Pan Alley
brought ragtime to worldwide audiences,
and Jewish and African American
artists and publishers were able to create
new, unprecedented opportunities
in mainstream American music. Some
of the artists included Irving Berlin,
Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, George
Gershwin, Cole Porter, Noble Sissle,
James Reese Europe and J. Rosamond
Johnson.
The buildings at 47-55 West 28 St.
The LPC also said in its brief on Tin
Pan Alley, when noting it popularizing
ragtime: “However, as relatives of
musical forms which were popular in
minstrel shows, some of Tin Pan Alley’s
compositions were built on objectionable
caricatures of African Americans
in the tradition of blackface performance.
LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Their employment of slurs and
caricatures refl ects systemic racism
in the post-Reconstruction era and a
particular lineage of racist stereotypes
in American entertainment. Some African
American songwriters on West
28th Street deliberately tried to rework
stereotypes that were popular in music
of the time.”
“Tin Pan Alley is the birthplace of
American pop music and now we’re
ensuring that it will be here for future
generations,” said Council Speaker
Corey Johnson. “Like much of American
history, the story of Tin Pan Alley
is complex and controversial, but preventing
its demolition will give future
generations the opportunity to learn
from it.”
Relatives of Tin Pan Alley composers
said they were glad about the buildings’
designation.
“I am so pleased that this designation
has preserved the remnants of this
cornerstone of New York business and
history,” said Melanie Edwards, granddaughter
of composer J. Rosamond
Johnson. “From the Brill building to
the home-made studios of hip-hop, they
all had their beginnings on Tin Pan Alley,
and this history can now be shared
with every music lover.”
“Tin Pan Alley made it possible for
African American composers like my
grandfather to promote their talents to
the broader public,” said James Reese
Europe III, grandson of James Reese
Europe. “My grandfather had many
of his early compositions published by
music publishers once located on this
block.”
4 December 19, 2019 Schneps Media