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Michael Perlman My name is Michael Perlman, and I am the founder and chair of "The Committee to Save the Trylon Theater," located in Forest Hills. The 1939 Art Deco/Moderne Trylon Theater is one of the last standing structures which has strong cultural, historical, & architectural significance to the 1939 World's Fair, popularized by its "Trylon & Perisphere" monuments...but I'm not talking about the Trylon today. Forest Hills currently has 1 landmark, the Ridgewood Savings Bank, a vast history, & zero historic districts. We hope to see a historic district north of the Forest Hills Gardens, comprised of Austin St, Arbor Close and Forest Close, as well as a Tudor village east of Yellowstone Blvd. Rego Park is devoid of landmarks, evidently having zero historic districts as well. Rego Park historic district would be comprised of the Art Deco 63rd Dr, the Rego Park Crescents, & a stretch of Saunders St consisting of original mid-late 20's developments in various styles, & built by the Real Good construction Co. This is a project that we have our hearts set on! We are dismayed that the LPC has chosen to disregard a highly significant landmark, the Trylon, confirming a consensus among preservationists that Queens continues to get the backdoor. Councilwoman Katz of Land Use & Chairman Tierney of the LPC has to realize that the people who inhabit their communities understand them best. It truly isn't fair that historic theaters such as this must be at the mercy of politicians & the LPC as to whether they should receive landmark status or not. Who should have the power? That is the question! The following groups are the true architectural critics - The Art Deco Society, Historic Districts Council, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Modern Architecture Working Group, Queens Historical Society, Theater Historical Society, & The Nat'l Terrazzo Mosaic Association. The Trylon fulfills every definition of a landmark, and the failure to grant it a hearing at the very least, defies the architectural and historical provisions of the landmarks law established in 1965. Please reconsider your decision on the Trylon, which ties into designation of other potential individual landmarks and historic districts in Queens that are consistently being ignored. They include the 1847 St. Savior's Church, and districts of Richmond Hill, Forest Hills, and Kew Gardens. This is only a sample of great representations of Queens, and if this doesn't meet the criteria for landmarking, then what does? Thank you! |
Robert Singleton With dozens of 100,150, and 200 year old buildings, with streets from the 1600s, Old Astoria Village is the most significant community in Queens, if not NYC, that does not enjoy landmark designation. Considering the political climate in western Queens, preservationists suggested that we start with trying to designate individual properties. Every application was shot down. The attitude by the Landmarks Preservation Commission towards St. Saviors echoes their disregard of the 1828 Astoria Institute at St. George?s Church in Old Astoria, the namesake of the community and monument to the legacy of John Jacob Astor. The crime of both buildings is simply to be in the wrong neighborhood. We question if the NYC landmarks legislation gives equal protection to all citizens. There should be one standard for everyone in the city. There is an old adage that any people who lose their past, have no future. Those responsible for destroying our past hold the people of Queens in contempt. Bob Singleton |