Bushwick locals took to the streets Tuesday afternoon to protest the planned demolition of a local landmark.
Around 15 neighborhood residents gathered outside the former Charles Lindemann House, a Queen Anne home located at 1001 Bushwick Ave., which is currently wrapped in green construction fencing. They were joined by representatives for Councilman Antonio Reynoso, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and state Sen. Julia Salazar.
Their goal, they said, was to shine a light on what they hope to be a future historic district in Bushwick, and urge the Landmarks Preservation Commission to calendar the Charles Lindemann House before it is completely destroyed. Sections of the top floor at the back of the house have already been demolished.
“It’s a beautiful building, man,” said a neighbor who stopped to see what the protest was all about. “Can we stop these people?”
A landmarking proposal was introduced as part of the Bushwick Community Plan, which was not implemented by the city as part of an aborted rezoning. The Bushwick Community Plan called for three landmark districts, including the Bushwick Avenue Historic District, as well as six individual landmarks.
A request for evaluation was sent to the Landmarks Preservation Commission last month. A petition calling to preserve buildings on Bushwick Avenue has been signed by 1,111 people as of this writing.
Inaction by the city, said District Leader Samy Nemir Olivares, has led to the dismantling of the neighborhood’s history. “We’re going to fight back, building by building, until this community is respected,” he added. “We demand the city listen to Bushwick when it comes to housing. We’re in a crisis, and we’re not going to allow any further development that is going to displace our community.”
This story first appeared on Brownstoner.com.
