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Politics & Government

Historic District Expansion Efforts Gaining Steam

The Park Slope Civic Council's proposed boundaries could be a hurdle to developers looking to cash in on the area surrounding the Barclays Center.

Elected officials and the Park Slope Civic Council are trying to expand Park Slope’s historic district, and the new boundaries may hinder development near the Barclays Center arena, says the Brooklyn Paper.

Councilmen Steve Levin, D–Park Slope, and Brad Lander, D–Park Slope, are pushing for a longtime Civic Council effort that would expand the historic district by 12 more blocks between Fifth and Sixth avenues, and Flatbush Avenue and President Street, says the article.

If historically districted, owners of landmarked properties would have to seek special permits from the Landmarks Preservation Commission before changing the facades of their buildings or demolishing their homes, but the Paper says that the rules won’t include retail establishments on Flatbush and Fifth avenues.

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Peter Bray, chair of the Civic Council’s historic district committee, stressed to the Paper that this proposal has been in the works for years, and that it had nothing to do with the opening of the Barclays Center arena nearby. Though, he agrees, landmarking would put a damper on developers plans to build up the area around the arena.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission is currently halfway through a survey to determine the neighborhood’s historical significance, and are working to finalize boundaries, says the article.

Find out what's happening in Park Slopewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On April 27 at 7 p.m., the Park Slope Civic Council is holding an informational meeting about the proposed extension, at 234 Garfield Place.

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