Midtown Landmarks Committee Plans Fight to Preserve Waldorf Astoria's Interior

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Community Board 5's Landmarks Committee unanimously agreed in a meeting Tuesday night to fight for the Waldorf Astoria hotel's interiors to be designated historic landmarks. The designation would protect the interiors from any damage that might be done when the building's new owners overhaul the hotel.

The Chinese company that purchased the historic hotel in 2014, Anbang Insurance Group, plans to empty it in 2017 for three years to convert 70 percent of the rooms into condos. The exterior of the Waldorf is historically designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but the interiors are not. Community members are anxious that without the protection of the LPC, the lavish art deco interiors could be destroyed by Anbang's construction.

Some members of the Landmarks Committee met earlier this week with Anbang representatives and said Tuesday night they were optimistic about Anbang's willingness to work with the LPC to protect the hotel's interiors.

Layla Law-Gisiko, chair of the committee, thanked a handful of Anbang representatives for attending the meeting until the very end of the night, which she said showed their vested interest in working with the community on the Waldorf.

"We did get the sense that when they are able to, they're willing to really engage in a dialogue with us," Law-Gisiko said.

Anbang was not yet ready to discuss specifics on their plans to any changes in the interior of the hotel, Law-Gisiko said. They told the Landmarks Committee members they had hired an architectural firm but were not yet ready to disclose which firm it was.

Anbang's statement from Tuesday night said they are willing to work with the LPC "to achieve an outcome that respects and re-invigorates the Waldorf Astoria for the next 100 years."

"At the conclusion of this process we will complete and publicly share renovation plans that will respect the Waldorf's extraordinary history while bringing the property into the 21st Century as an exceptional hotel and event destination for future generations to enjoy," the statement said.

Some committee members expressed concern that Anbang would alter the hotel's interiors before the LPC had a chance to calendar a designation hearing. Preservationists are still reeling from recent demolitions. State Sen. Brad Hoylman told Patch a few weeks ago that if the LPC didn't calendar a hearing about the Waldorf's interiors right away, it risked running the same course as the Frank Lloyd Wright showroom on Park Avenue, which was gutted by its new owner without notice in 2013.

"When a developer takes over, we see that there might be a risk," Law-Gisiko said. "Typically, unfortunately, this push to designate interiors comes from a reaction, rather than being proactive."

But committee members agreed that even if Anbang is 100 percent willing to work with the LPC, the Waldorf's interior should be protected beyond Anbang's ownership.

"The new owners are looking forward to working with us and the LPC, but moving forward, God only knows what the market might demand out of someone," said committee member Renee Cafaro. "That's how you lose things. I think it's very important for us to just say something right now that this is something that needs to be looked at. It's long overdue."

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