Press Release

For Immediate Release: October 25, 2023
Contact: lpcpressoffice@lpc.nyc.gov, 212-669-7938

LPC Awards Grants to Landmark Buildings Across the City, Announces Completion of Facade Restoration for Previous Grant Recipient in the Bronx

LPC's Historic Preservation Grant Program helps low-to-moderate income property owners make much-needed repairs on their designated landmark buildings and conduct lead paint remediation

Latest grant recipients received between $24,000 and $62,500 for restoration work, as well as hands-on assistance from LPC staff throughout the project

New York –Today, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) announced the seven latest grants provided through its Historic Preservation Grant Program to help low-to-moderate-income homeowners and non-profit organizations make needed repairs to their landmark properties. The grant recipients include six homeowners from historic districts in the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn and one not-for-profit organization in the Central Harlem Historic District.

LPC also announced that work is officially complete on one of the designated properties that received funding in the previous round of grant awards: 841 Manida Street, part of the Manida Street Historic District in the Bronx. Visitors to the block will note 841 Manida Street's newly-restored façade – just the latest example of the Historic Preservation Grant Program's continuing impact in providing critical funding and ongoing support for low-to-moderate income property owners looking to repair and restore their designated landmark properties.

The latest Historic Preservation Grant recipients received between $24,000 and $62,500 to restore, repair or rehabilitate the facades of their buildings, including remediation of lead paint hazards, as well as hands-on technical assistance from LPC staff throughout the project.

"Every New Yorker – regardless of their economic status – deserves to be proud of where they live, and by giving working families in landmark districts the opportunity to upgrade their homes, we're making sure of that," said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. "I applaud the Landmarks Preservation Commission's work to not only establish historic districts in places that represent diversity and equity but also give low-and middle-income homeowners the resources they need to maintain their homes."

"LPC's Historic Preservation Grant Program is an example of the Commission's ongoing commitment to partnering with property owners citywide to help safeguard their historic landmark buildings," said Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Sarah Carroll. "The funding from these latest grant awards will help recipients restore and preserve their individual properties, and support the ongoing success of preservation in their respective historic districts."

"Like all great cities, New York City has effortlessly evolved as societal changes bring us from one generation to the next,' stated Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr., 17th Council District, The Bronx and Chair of the Land Use Committee. "What has made New York City the greatest city in the world, however, is the rich history that has shaped the culture and customs of each neighborhood. In the 17th district, the Manida Street Historic District reflects the Bronx's place as one of the central contributors to the finance world in the early 20th century. With time, though, it is imperative that we maintain our connections to the past. In the South Bronx, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is doing just that by offering financial assistance to homeowners in the Manida Street District to repair their historic homes through federal grants. I applaud LPC for their dedication to preserving our city's history, and their commitment to helping New Yorkers maintain their historic homes for little to no cost."

The latest grant recipients are as follows:

Homeowner Awards

856 Manida Street, Bronx – Manida Street Historic District: $62,500 awarded for paint and vine removal, front façade painting, partial roof repairs, cornice repair and painting, front doors repair, lead paint remediation, and removal of non-historic areaway fence and gate.
112-33 178th Street, Queens – Addisleigh Park Historic District: $35,000 awarded for partial slate roof replacement.
5 Agate Court, Brooklyn – Alice and Agate Courts Historic District: $36,000 awarded for window replacement to match historic configuration and lead paint remediation.
14 Agate Court, Brooklyn – Alice and Agate Courts Historic District: $34,000 awarded for front door replacement to match historic configuration and lead paint remediation.
16 Agate Court, Brooklyn – Alice and Agate Courts Historic District: $24,000 awarded for front door replacement to match historic configuration and lead paint remediation.
134 Noble Street, Brooklyn – Greenpoint Historic District: $60,000 awarded for cornice repair and painting, brownstone stoop resurfacing, and lead paint remediation.

Non-Profit Awards

107 West 130th Street, Manhattan – Central Harlem Historic District: $35,000 for brownstone façade repairs at the primary façade.

The grants, funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), are awarded based on the number of applications received and funding available, income eligibility and financial need, building conditions and repairs, and the effect the grant will have on improving the building and/or historic district.

In addition to funding, grant recipients receive help with preparing the contractor bid documents and selecting qualified contractors. LPC grant program staff makes site visits as work is underway and see the project through to completion.

"Our family is deeply grateful for the generous investment by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to restore our historic home in the Bronx," said Steven Toledo, homeowner of 841 Manida Street and grant recipient. "With the significant financial support via the LPC's Historic Preservation Grant Program, we now are able to enjoy a beautifully restored facade, showcasing the beauty and durability of our 120-year-old row house and serving as an exemplary model for our historic block."

"The Historic Preservation Grant Program has been instrumental in strengthening and improving the façade of my brownstone home (built in 1888-1889) by providing funds for licensed contractors of my choice to remove paint from the stone and repoint the bricks to restore its natural beauty," said Marlienne Christian Edness, homeowner of 5 Agate Court and grant recipient. "I am indebted to the access the grant provides in safeguarding the history, architecture, and cultural attributes of sites that have been and continue to be landmarked."

"After we became designated as a historic district, a grant was issued to those of who qualified to have the facades of our homes restored. The bricks on the façade on some of our homes had been painted, and as part of the grant work, the paint was removed. The natural bricks underneath were surprisingly beautiful, and the whole façade of the house was brought back to its original state," said Angela Maynard, homeowner of 16 Agate Court and grant recipient. "I would like to say thank you for what the Landmarks Preservation Commission has done, and continues to do, for our homes here on Agate Court. We are most appreciative."

The Historic Preservation Grant Program, established in 1977, has awarded more than $5.7 million assisting 177 homeowners and 147 not-for-profit organizations across the five boroughs. These grant awards have been used to help fund the cost of non-emergency restoration work, including masonry rebuilding and repointing, restoration of façades, sills, lintels and roofs, paint removal, stoop repair, and repair and replacement of windows, cornices, and front doors. For more information on the grant program, visit LPC's Historic Preservation Grant Program webpage.

About the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC)

The Landmarks Preservation Commission is the mayoral agency responsible for protecting and preserving New York City's architecturally, historically and culturally significant buildings and sites. Since its creation in 1965, LPC has granted landmark status to more than 37,900 buildings and sites, including 1,456 individual landmarks, 121 interior landmarks, 11 scenic landmarks, and 156 historic districts and extensions in all five boroughs. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/landmarks and connect with us via www.facebook.com/NYCLandmarks and www.twitter.com/nyclandmarks. To learn more about LPC's Historic Preservation Grant Program and how to apply, go to /site/lpc/about/historic-preservation-grant-program.page

In addition to LPC's Historic Preservation Grant Program, the New York State Historic Preservation Office offers a tax credit program for rehabilitation of historic residential buildings. Buildings must be located in a qualifying census tract in order to qualify for the tax credit. LPC recently added a census tract layer to its Discover NYC Landmarks map to make it easier for people to determine whether an area or property is within an income-eligible census tract.