South Village Residents Persevere to Preserve

It's been over two years since the Landmarks Preservation Commission received a proposal for the creation of a new South Village Historic District, and preservationists are frustrated with the alterations made to the historic landscape they've been trying to save. The NY Times reports that "owners of buildings in the area began filing for permits to alter or demolish their properties." From townhouses circa 1835 to a strip of 1861 houses that included Le Figaro Cafe, facades are being destroyed and buildings are being gutted. There may be some progress now, however, as the LPC is holding a community meeting tonight "to discuss the designation of the district: a swath of the city extending south from Washington Square Park and West Fourth Street to Broome Street, and bordered by La Guardia Place to the east, and Seventh Avenue South to the west." Are the recent efforts too little, too late? Will the landmarking process move forward? Stay tuned! But as Curbed points out, keep in mind that even the designation goes through, "a historic district does not mean there won't be casualties."