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Brooklyn's Greenest Block May Become a Historic District

As new developments rise across the neighborhood, East 25th Street is one step closer to landmark status to preserve its historic homes
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Brooklyn?s ?greenest block? is one step closer to becoming a historic district amid COVID-19.

On Tuesday, The Landmarks Preservation Commission calendared a strip of East 25th Street in East Flatbush for consideration as a new historic district, 6SqFt reports.

Located between Clarendon Road and Avenue D the block includes 56 limestone and brownstone buildings built by developer Henry Meyer Building Company between 1909 and 1912. According to the LPC, the block stands out in the neighborhood for the level of consistency between the Renaissance Revival style homes,  with both sides of the street being "mirror images" of one another.

"The pride of the street homeowners in their houses and street is evident, not only in the lush greenery of their front yards but in the proposed district's outstanding historical integrity," Kate Lemos McHale, the director of research at LPC, said during Tuesday's meeting.

The 300 East 25th Street Block Association submitted a request for evaluation to Landmarks last year, the Brooklyn Eagle reported. The effort comes as new development projects pop up in the surrounding areas.

According to an online petition launched by the association "rapid and over-development has plagued the East Flatbush community with either the demolition of century-old Victorian homes with boxy buildings in its place or 'finger' extensions placed on top of row-homes," a Change.org petition reads.

"For this, it is crucial to preserve the architectural vision of Henry Meyer and the cultural landscape the 300 East 25th St block residents have nurtured and protected with tremendous care to culminate to a historic district."

In addition to maintaining the properties, the community keeps the block green with shrubbery, trees, and flowers. Since 2004, The East 25th Street block has won the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's annual Greenest Block in Brooklyn competition four times.

"We thank our predecessors for their preservation legacy to us. We hope that our Block Association's motto of 'Committed to Preserving and Enriching our Community for the benefit of all will be the landmark legacy that we leave for future generations," Block Association President Carol Reneau said.




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