Prospect Heights Historic District

Following an extensive data gathering effort that collected images and information on more than 1,000 buildings in Prospect Heights, PHNDC and The Municipal Art Society have formally requested the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission evaluate the Prospect Heights neighborhood for historic designation. The request follows the submission to LPC in January 2007 a database of more than 900 buildings that contribute to the historic character of the district.

Prospect Heights has remained remarkably free from large-scale physical change, making it a perfect candidate for historic district designation. But without such designation soon, that may well change. The development of Atlantic Yards just adjacent to the proposed historic district will exert immense development pressures on the neighborhood, posing a threat to its sense of place and historic character. The threat is compounded by the number of lots in Prospect Heights which are underbuilt relative to the allowable density under the neighborhood's current zoning. Unlike the neighboring communities of Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Fort Greene, and now Crown Heights, Prospect Heights does not currently enjoy the protection of historic designation, making the neighborhood attractive for out-of-scale development.

PHNDC has found through surveys of community opinion (The Pratt Center, October 2004) that the architectural character of Prospect Heights is highly valued among neighborhood residents. We hope that the Landmarks Preservation Commission will act quickly to save our historic neighborhood.

PHNDC's request to the Landmarks Preservation Commission is available here.

More information on PHNDC's initiative to win historic designation for Prospect Heights is here.

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