State board delays vote on Gowanus “historic district”

A state preservation board’s vote on the historic designation of the 1.8-mile Gowanus Canal – and a section of Gowanus containing more than 400 properties – has been pushed back two months.

Eight years after determining the district was ineligible for the designation, the state Historic Preservation Office planned to vote again last week. The city requested more time to review the proposal of a neighborhood group known as Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus, the New York Daily News reported.

The Gowanus Canal Community Development Corp., one of the plan’s opponents, argued that granting the designation would harm future development and prevent the creation of more jobs in the area. The proposed historic district would span 53 blocks and include several bridges and rowhomes, warehouses and industrial buildings.

Meanwhile, the city Landmarks Preservation Commission plans to slap owners of the new Gowanus Whole Foods with a second fine for neglecting a dilapidated historic building next to the grocery store, as previously reported. [NYDN] — Mark Maurer