The City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has designated 5 Gowanus buildings to be considered as individual landmarks. This designation would pave the way in preserving the past industrial history of the area which has seen a significant change in the neighborhood due to proposed rezoning and new developments.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to put the five Gowanus buildings on its calendar: the Batcave, the Old American Can Factory, the Gowanus Canal Flushing Tunnel Pumping Station and Gate House, the Montauk Paint Manufacturing Company Building and the ASPCA Rogers Memorial Building.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle was able to interview some major figures that assisted in the furtherance of getting the buildings designated. Simeon Bankoff, the Historic Districts Council’s Executive Director told the Daily Eagle “Today’s designation vote is a crucial step in the process of preserving Gowanus’s important history and we are thankful to the Landmarks Commission for taking this action. There is still much more to be done.” He also believes that the designation was crucial as change in the neighborhood and there is a need to preserve the industrial past of the neighborhood. “We’ve seen the neighborhood change immensely over the past eight years and with the proposed rezoning, that change is only going to accelerate.” Mr. Bankoff states. Linda Mariano of the Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus stated that the 5 Gowanus buildings “represent and illustrate the Gowanus corridor’s authentic industrial past.” She further says “Some of us have advocated for landmarking for more than a decade, and our coalition has worked together for several years now in response to the city’s proposed rezoning. It is our hope that many more historic buildings in Gowanus will be landmarked, as they are certainly worthy.” Prior to the designation of the 5 buildings there were only 2 other designations in the Gowanus region. The Coignet building and the Caroll Street Bridge.
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