Gansevoort Market receives letterof eligibility from National Register
The Greenwich Village Historic District announced the receipt of a letter of eligibility for the Gansevoort Market to be considered for the National Register of Historic Places Monday, July 22.
“It’s good news,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP). “The timing is great in that we were told at the beginning of the year by the New York City Landmarks Preservation commission—the one we’re shooting for, cause they control new building—they told us that in the latter half of 2002 they would get back to us with some kind of proposal for Gansevoort.” Along with reports that a new chairperson may be in place at the Landmarks Commission soon, Berman sees some kind of significant protection for the district “coming down the pike later this year.”
GVSHP is most pleased with the letter of eligibility because it seconds the arguments they have been making.
“The district appears to be historically significant under Criterion A in the areas of commerce, industry, and community development. It is also architecturally significant under Criterion C for its interesting mix of loft, market, and residential architecture.”
To reach this point, GVSHP took individuals from State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation on a number of tours of the district. They also submitted a series of applications. With the eligibility letter in hand, the next step for GVSHP is to complete another layer of applications that will become the formal nomination. They hope to submit the final nomination by summer’s end.
The letter is significant in anther way, Berman adds. “It’s the first time a new area of Greenwich Village has been recognized in over a generation. The designation of the Stonewall Historic district was different. It was a designation inside an already designated area.”
