Questions on the Preservation Vision survey tried to determine if there is link between outcomes of historic preservation work and some pressing issues facing New York City residents. Affordable housing was considered by many to be a priority for New Yorkers and an issue to which preservation might be able to contribute. It is clear that the link between affordable housing and preservation is important because it draws preservation closer to broader social issues such as public health; economic/social diversity; and social justice. Affordable housing was also seen as a way to maintain neighborhood history, character and community. On more than one occasion participants articulated the desire to make preservation more relevant to all New Yorkers. If preservation is seen as a positive force for the creation and perpetuation of affordable housing it might in turn garner much needed public support and increased relevance.
A roundtable discussion focused on the practical benefits and obstacles related to the development of affordable housing within existing historic building stock, reconciling tax incentives with building codes, and modes of collaboration with housing authorities to allow for convergence of density, maximum FAR, and reuse. Participants noted that it is often cheaper to rehabilitate old structures than to tear them down and rebuild, though major obstacles center on the complexity of financing, escalating land values, and DOB requirements like lead abatement.
With regard to the preservation tax credit, it was widely reported that the amount of legal and administrative work needed to navigate the restrictions often proves onerous and inhibits use — for a small projects the credit might not offset the added time and expense. More flexibility in the Secretary of the Interior’s standards is needed in order to use the credits especially where developers must also conform to code requirements. Likewise, there needs to be more collaboration between City Planning and the Landmarks Preservation Commission during the designation or rezoning process. Preservation professionals should lead a collective discussion of goals and trade-offs, abandoning the obsolete zero-sum-game model. Consider issues such as building heights, sale of air-rights and inclusionary zoning.
This report is only partial summary of discussions hosted and feedback received by the Preservation Vision: NYC project. Every attempt was made to convey the breadth and content of these exchanges between participants, but brevity demanded that many useful contributions were simplified, combined, or left out altogether. In no case are the assertions and assessments summarized here a reflection of the organizers' opinions or best knowledge; they belong only to the participants and contribute to an open process of deliberation. A final report will provide a more comprehensive and nuanced reflection of these deliberations along with a synthesis of project participants’ visions for the future.
