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Landmarks commission balks at demolition plan for 139 Thompson Street; panel asks for preservation plan
Summary
At a recent commission hearing discussed in CB2, staff and commissioners questioned an applicant’s engineering report and indicated the commission is likely to deny a demolition request for 139 Thompson Street, asking for a preservation plan and citing 'demolition by neglect.'
A landmarks committee report at the CB2 executive meeting summarized a recent Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing on 139 Thompson Street, where an applicant sought permission to demolish a tenement and rebuild.
The reporter said the applicant presented engineering evidence arguing the building could not be saved, but commission staff and a consulting engineer disputed that assessment and sharply criticized the applicant’s case. The reporter said the commission ‘‘does not feel that the building needs to be torn down’’ and asked the applicant to present a plan showing how the structure could be preserved.
Chanel, who reported the commission hearing to the committee, said a substantial portion of testimony criticized the demolition request and that commissioners raised the possibility of ‘‘demolition by neglect’’ in their discussion. No decision was reached; the commission will continue its review and is expected to return the matter for a later vote.
Why it matters: Demolition decisions affect neighborhood character, affordable housing stock and preservation policy. The commission’s skepticism and request for a preservation plan make denial likely unless the applicant provides new, persuasive evidence that the building is structurally unsafe.
The landmarks committee also previewed a separate large application in the Meatpacking District (a triangular building at 9th Avenue) and urged that any redevelopment preserve the area’s historic, industrial character.
