A Last-Ditch Effort To Preserve The St. Denis Hotel Building

EAST VILLAGE, NY — In a last-ditch effort to save the historic St. Denis Hotel building from the wrecking ball, Councilwoman Carlina Rivera has asked the city to re-evaluate the structure's landmark status.

The 799 Broadway building has 165-years-worth of history including Alexander Graham Bell's first demonstration of the telephone and was where Ulysses S. Grant wrote his memoirs with the help of Mark Twain. But as the building has changed hands over the years, landlords have renovated the interior and facade, and despite its robust role in history landmark status had eluded it.

Now, a pair of developers seek to demolish the building and erect a 12-story office space. The building's tenants were booted earlier this year to make way for construction — much to the chagrin of preservationists and locals who have denounced the plan.

Councilwoman Rivera has pushed the city to landmark the building and on Sept. 25 requested the city's Landmark Preservation Commission re-evaluate the structure for landmark status, a spokesman for the councilwoman's office told Patch.

"The Councilwoman formally requested last week for LPC to reconsider the application again due to the neighborhood’s vocal support for the building and the history behind both its architecture and the former residents who passed through its doors," said Jeremy Unger, the communications and legislative director for Councilwoman Rivera's office.

The commission recently reviewed the building as part of a broader Broadway survey at Rivera's request. But the commission says the building is too far gone from its original design for the coveted preservation status.

“The survey included 799 Broadway, which was found to be significantly altered and to not merit consideration for designation as an individual landmark," said Zodet Negron, a spokeswoman for the Landmark Preservation Commission.

"LPC recently received a request from Council Member Rivera to further evaluate 799 Broadway."

Last week the commission calendared seven Broadway properties for landmark review as a condition of the City Council's approval of the Union Square Tech Training Center, which was approved this summer.

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