The Landmarks Preservation Commission is once again considering a number of buildings and areas for potential landmarking or historic district designation, such as the Webster Hall, Fisk Terrace-Midwood Park in Broolyn, and One Chase Manhattan Plaza. You can see the list here - PDF.
Of course, there are some unintended consequences, like the total destruction of some buildings. When the LPC announced it was considering expanding the NoHo historic district, the former screw factory at 30 Great Jones St. was destroyed by developers before it could be landmarked.
Across the river, some Queens residents feel their borough gets the short end from the LPC. A study showed out of the 12,495 buildings, Queens "has the fewest stand-alone landmarks — 69 — of any borough, just a tenth of Manhattan's." However, many are unimpressed with the Queens effort to landmark buildings. Example: A gorgeous building about to be leveled for another tower in Long Island City, Queens.
And an interesting note about expected-to-be landmarked One Chase Manhattan Plaza. Not only is it the home of one of the oldest U.S. banks, the building influenced the downtown skyline significantly as NYC transitioned from a physical commercial port to a financial port. Former Chase chairman David Rockefeller also helped found the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, to rid downtown of its gritty historical low-rent low-rise, sea-dependent shabbiness, and replace it with things like the World Trade Center.
NYC: Chase Manhattan Plaza - Sunken Garden, by wallyg at flickr
