A courtesy phone call from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to the owners of a luxury-car showroom designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was seemingly all it took to persuade them to demolish the historic interior.
"For six decades, a luxury-car showroom with a distinctive swooping ramp stood at the corner of Park Avenue and 56th Street. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, it was the first of only three New York projects by the modernist master."
Only days after owners of the space received word that the Landmarks Preservation Commission was considering designating the Wright showroom, the dealership was destroyed, reports Matt Chaban.
"'The loss of a Frank Lloyd Wright, it's a national tragedy,' said Simeon Bankoff, director of the Historic Districts Council. Like so many in New York, he had no idea the space was even gone."
"Some question whether there was any Wright worth saving, since the space was renovated twice, first in the 1980s and again in 2001," notes Chaban. "The merits of the space would have been considered at the Landmarks Commission."
"'That's a debate we should have had, and could have had, but now we can't' because of the demolition, said Vin Cipolla, president of the Municipal Art Society. 'That's what the landmarking process is for.'"
FULL STORY: Frank Lloyd Wright Park Avenue site wronged

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.

Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.

USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Fort Worth
planning NEXT
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie