New York City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks Hearing - July 9, 2026
New York City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, Resiliency and Dispositions Hearing - July 9, 2026
The New York City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, Resiliency and Dispositions, chaired by Councilmember Christopher Marte, held a hearing on July 9, 2026, at 11:00 AM in Hearing Room 1 at 250 Broadway. The agenda included three individual landmark designation proposals (Public School 15 Annex, Church of Saint Mary, and Lithuanian Alliance Building) and one application from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) for the 511 West 171 Street ANCP Cluster project. All four items were laid over without a vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Lithuanian Alliance Building (LU 0093-2026): Multiple speakers testified in strong support of the landmark designation. Radville Meskavik, a representative of the Lithuanian Alliance, described the building as a "second home" for the community and thanked the subcommittee. Giedre Volgosgas, Deputy Consul General of Lithuania in New York, emphasized the Alliance’s historic role as the oldest continuously operating Lithuanian organization worldwide and its contributions to Lithuanian-American heritage and to New York’s multicultural character. A volunteer and consulate staffer also spoke briefly in support, urging a yes vote.
- No public testimony was offered on the other agenda items.
Discussion Items
- HPD Application – 511 West 171 Street ANCP Cluster (T2026-2210 and T2026-2211): Councilmember De La Rosa expressed strong support, noting the project would convert existing rental units to cooperative ownership. HPD Senior Project Manager Shams Al Kafaji presented details: three buildings in Washington Heights with 50 total units (36 occupied, 14 vacant). Existing residents earning up to 80% AMI would purchase their units for $250; those above 80% AMI would pay $2,500. Vacant units would be sold at prices affordable to 80% AMI. Monthly maintenance is set so housing costs do not exceed 30% of income. The project includes gut rehabilitation, new low-carbon systems, and relocation of tenants. The sponsor is Lumley and Wolf Companies. Financing includes a $500,000–$700,000 per unit city capital loan with zero interest for 40 years, and various state grants. The goal is to convert to a cooperative after construction (24–30 months) and a subsequent marketing period. Councilmember Marte opened a joint public hearing, and after no testifiers, closed the hearing and laid over the items.
- Landmark Designations: Margaret Herman, Director of Research at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, presented three designations:
- Church of Saint Mary (LU 0092-2026): Located at 440 Grand Street, Manhattan. Built in 1833, it is Manhattan’s second oldest existing Catholic church building. The Romanesque Revival facade was designed by Patrick Charles Keely in 1864. The parish served Irish immigrants and continues to serve a diverse Catholic community.
- Lithuanian Alliance Building (LU 0093-2026): Located at 307 West 30th Street, Manhattan. A Neo-Greek style building constructed 1876–1877. The Lithuanian Alliance purchased it in 1910 and has operated there for over a century, providing aid to Lithuanian immigrants and preserving culture. The building was restored in 2018.
- Public School 15 Annex (LU 0091-2026): Located at 72 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn. Designed by James Naughton in 1889 as an annex to an overcrowded school. It later housed the Brooklyn Girls’ Continuation School, a pioneering institution for young women, and continues as an educational site. The building is architecturally distinctive and reflects immigrant history. Councilmember Wilson spoke in support of the Lithuanian Alliance designation. All three designations received strong support at LPC public hearings in March. The subcommittee heard no further questions and laid over the items.
Key Outcomes
- All items laid over (no vote taken): LU 0091-2026 (Public School 15 Annex), LU 0092-2026 (Church of Saint Mary), LU 0093-2026 (Lithuanian Alliance Building), T2026-2210 (UDAP approval for 511 West 171 Street ANCP Cluster), and T2026-2211 (Article 11 tax exemption for same project) were all subject to a hearing and then laid over by the subcommittee. The meeting adjourned without further action.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning and welcome to the New York City Council Subcommittee hearing for landmarks, public studying resiliency, and disposition. At this time, please put all devices on silent. If you wish to testify, please see one of the sergeant of arms. At this time, no one should approach the DS Chair. You may begin. Good morning. Welcome to a meeting of the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sighting, Resiliency and Dispositions. I'm Councilmember Christopher Marte and I'm the chair of the subcommittee. I'm joined today by my colleagues, Councilmember Wilson, Councilmember Ose, Councilmember Delarosa. Before we begin today's agenda, I will remind everyone that this meeting is being held in hybrid format for members of the public who wish to testify remotely. We ask that you first register online and you may do so now by visiting www.council.nyc.gov slash land use to sign up and then sign into the Zoom and remain signed on until you have testified. For anyone with us here today in person and wishing to testify, if you have not already done so, please see one of the sergeant of arms to fill out a speaker card and we will call your name at the appropriate time. For anyone wishing to submit written testimony on the items being heard today, we ask that you please send it via email to land use testimony at Council.nyc.gov, including the LU number and or project name in the subject line of your email. Video and audio testimony will not be accepted. I remind members of the public that this is a governmental proceeding and that the quorum shall be observed at all times. As such, members of the public shall remain silent unless and until called to testify. The witness table is reserved for people who wish to testify. No video recording or photography is allowed from the witness table. Further, members of the public may not present audio or video recording as testimony, but may submit transcript of such recordings to the sergeant for inclusion in the hearing record. On today's agenda, we have a hearing on three landmarks application and one application by HPD. I now open the public hearing for preconsider L use for an application by New York City Department of Housing and Preservation and Development for 511 West 171st Street Cluster Project for an urban development action area project UDAP approval pursuant to the section 691 of the general municipal law and the approval of a 40-year Article 11 tax exemption pursuant to section 5 577 of the private housing finance law. These actions will facilitate the rehabilitation of three buildings with 50 units in Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in Councilmember Delarosa's district. Thank you, Chair. I strongly support this application. These units will convert to cooperative ownership. Our existing households and 14 will be first-time home ownership purchasing vacant units. This project will ensure affordable home ownership and uh will make sure that existing tenants uh are able to finally own their apartments. And so I wanted to express my support for this project today. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember. Appearing today on this panel is Shams Al Kafaji, Michael McCarthy, Ariel Rowling. Those wishing to testify remotely must register online by visiting council website at council.nyc.gob slash land use. Panelists, please ensure that your microphone is on. Council, will you please administer the affirmation? Um, panelists, would you please raise your right hand and state your name for the record? Ariel Rawlings. Shamsalkafaji. Michael McCarthy. And do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in your testimony before the subcommittee and an answer to all council member questions? Awesome. You may begin. Hi everyone. My name is Shamsalgafaji, and I'm a senior project manager with HPD's Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program, or ANCP. First, I would like to thank the subcommittee on landmarks, public sightings, and resiliency and dispositions for your time today. This morning I'll be speaking on 511 West 171st Street Cluster, which is a proposal to rehabilitate three buildings in Washington Heights under HPD's ANCP. Next slide, please. This project comprises of three buildings, 511 West 171st Street, 522 West 174th Street, and 501 West 174th Street. The project sponsor is Lumley and Wolf Companies, the construction lender's low income investment fund or LIF. There are 50 units total in these buildings, 36 of which are occupied or existing households, and 14 are vacant and will be first-time home buyers. The sales prices for the existing residents will be $2,500 or $250 for qualifying residents who earn under 80% of the area median income or AMI.
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