Landmark 856 Washington Ave

I am proud to represent the 20th State Senate District, which includes parts of Brownsville, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, and Sunset Park. My district is one of the most diverse in New York State, and at the heart of the district, and the heart of Brooklyn is the Grand Army Plaza. This is the proudest structure in Brooklyn, and its importance is bolstered by its stunning architectural context. It is next to Park Slope, the Botanic Gardens, the Brooklyn Museum, and the St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf. There are several landmarks in the area, including Eastern Parkway and Prospect Heights Historic District.

What is missing from all this is a grand commercial space. Historic preservation experts attest that there are no commercial buildings comparable in my district and that the former Greenpoint Savings Bank is a significant example of an early-20th Century bank building, especially in terms of its siting. Given that there is nothing comparable in the community and that it provides an important part of the story of the heart of Brooklyn, I am urging the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to immediately landmark 856 Washington Avenue in Brooklyn.

We have notable parks, war memorials, museums, parkways, apartment buildings, but we have nothing that connects this to where Brooklynites banked in the 1920s. We have nothing to show the financial home of this part of Brooklyn. Landmarking 856 Washington Avenue preserves an important structure for Brooklyn's future.