Part of West Village on Its Way to Protection From Monstrous Skyscrapers

WEST VILLAGE, NY — The city on Thursday agreed to move forward with designating a 10-block area of the West Village a historic district in one of the biggest wins in years for people who love the community just the way it is. Specifically, the Landmarks Preservation Commission has said it will add the proposal to protect the area to its list of items to review in the coming weeks.

The step also brings the St. John's Terminal development one step closer to reality. Council Member Corey Johnson, as well as preservationists, has said he'd be more willing to support the massive redevelopment if the city granted historic designation to the 10-block area known as the South Village.

After more than 10 years of pushing for the South Village to be designated as a historic district, preservationists announced the decision as a victory for them in ensuring that high-rise construction doesn't threaten the integrity of their beloved West Village.

A representative from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) said the group was hopeful the LPC would carry out its end of the agreement before the City Council hears the final proposal from developers on the St. John's Terminal project in December.

The district up for historic preservation is an area with 160 buildings south of Houston Street between Sixth Avenue and West Broadway.

The LPC has been designating the South Village in sections. The first phase was landmarked in 2010, and the second phase was landmarked in 2013.

Johnson, who represents the West Village, played a big part in supporting GVSHP's mission, and he was able to help them move forward with this last phase of historic designation.

Johnson said in a statement Wednesday that he would push for the historic preservation of the South Village with City Council.

"Working closely with Council Member Corey Johnson and literally thousands of supporters, we used the fact that the city was actively considering a rezoning of a nearby area that would increase development pressure upon the South Village to demonstrate that it would be unconscionable not to finally move ahead with designation," Andrew Berman, executive director of the GVSHP, told Patch. "Council Member Johnson has been a great partner in this effort, and made clear to the city that designation of the South Village was absolutely essential."

On Monday the City Planning Commission approved the $100 million deal between the developer and the Hudson River Park Trust, the community entity that runs the park on Pier 40, for the property's air rights.

In addition to requesting the historic designation of the South Village, GVSHP has requested prohibiting any further air rights transfers by the Hudson River Park Trust and limiting retail to local business-owners.

"We don't want to have a giant mall that's attracting everyone from the New York metropolitan area, and largely by car," Berman told Patch.

The St. John's Terminal Pier 40 project includes plans to demolish the terminal and build a 2 million-square-foot complex with retail, condos, 30 percent affordable housing and possibly a hotel in its place.

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