After a last minute court order halted all demolition at Grand Prospect Hall earlier this month, things are looking bleak again for the beloved event space and wedding venue: the Landmarks Preservation Commission has denied a request to landmark the Park Slope institution.
"Because of alterations to the exterior and interior of the building, it does not have sufficient historic integrity for consideration as a landmark," wrote Kate Lemos McHale, director of research at the landmarks commission.
She added that despite its storied history, the exterior of the 118-year-old building was already "substantially altered"—specifically, the original pedimented cornice was removed, the frieze above the first story was altered, and the portico was enclosed. These alterations "diminish the legibility of the original design and substantially impact the historic architectural character and integrity of the building."
Also, because new owner Angelo Rigas had already been given permits by the Department of Buildings to dismantle the interiors—which resulted in "the removal of historic fabric"—those permits would still be valid even after a designation under Landmarks Law. (A spokesperson for Rigas previously told Gothamist that the historic interior fixtures were already gone when they arrived, and it was "nothing but walls.")
“LPC does not regulate use, and landmark designation does not compel an owner to restore a building or bring back a prior use,” McHale noted.
This was dispiriting news to the activists and community members who have been scrambling to try to save the space in recent weeks, ever since news broke in mid-August that Gowanus Cubes, an LLC operated by Rigas, had begun gutting the interiors.
"The bottom line is, if this is New York City bureaucracy business as usual, it will be tough to get a positive outcome," said Jim Glaser, one of the activists involved in trying to save what's left of the hall.
Although the court order pausing all work at the property was supposed to end today, the injunction has been pushed until Monday because of the Jewish holidays. With some time remaining before new DOB work permits can be issued, Glaser and other community members are appealing directly to Rigas, who through his attorneys asked them for a proposal on a possible compromise plan for the space.
To that end, the activists have submitted an initial proposal summary, which includes an offer to help work with the city and elected officials to find an accommodation, such as upzoning the property—which could potentially allow Rigas to build higher than the current four stories allowed—with the hope that some part of the original hall could then be preserved as an event space and community center.
"There is an outpouring of interest to help with this situation, including from investor friends in the business community, to expand on the plan such that this could potentially be even more profitable for him," Glaser said.
With the help of Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, they have been trying to reach out to Mayor Bill de Blasio's office for help saving the hall, but there's been no response so far. Gothamist has also reached out to the mayor's office, and will update if they respond.
Back in July, Rigas purchased the property from Alice Halkias, who ran the longtime event space and wedding venue with her husband Michael for the last 40+ years until he died at the age of 82 from complications due to COVID-19. A few days after the purchase, the new owner got a permit from the DOB allowing them to do "interior demolition and non structural element removal." Rigas, who bought the hall as part of a larger $30 million, 12 property deal, plans to turn the building into "a low-scale residential building with an affordable component."
According to the DOB, a partial stop work order was issued on August 16th preventing any work from continuing in the side yard of the building—this is the location of a Polish American WWII Veterans Memorial. The project's spokesperson said they were working with the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York to move it elsewhere.
Although the building is not registered as a landmark in New York City, it was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
