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Read the press release here.

Bedford District Moves Closer to Historic Designation

By Sonja Sharp | May 14, 2012 3:58pm
The Landmarks Preservation Commission will vote Tuesday on whether to consider the Bedford Section of Bed-Stuy for historic designation.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission will vote Tuesday on whether to consider the Bedford Section of Bed-Stuy for historic designation.
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DNAinfo/Tuan Nguyen

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission announced it will vote Tuesday on whether to consider the Bedford section of Bed-Stuy for historic designation, a move that would preserve the neighborhood's 19th century character as new residents continue to flock to the area.

"With the exception of the cars, this neighborhood looks pretty much like it did in 1883 when the buildings were built," said Claudette Brady, co-founder of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Society for Historic Preservation. "With the overlay of landmarking, people have to build contextually, aesthetics-wise. Otherwise, people just build things that are completely out of context with the existing architecture."

Though recent rezoning already limits the type of of development, proponents of the move say it would help preserve the 'fabric of the community,' as well as offer tax benefits for homeowners who have lived in the neighborhood for generations. 

A map of the proposed Bedford Historic District.
A map of the proposed Bedford Historic District.
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Landmarks Preservation Commission

"It's great news," Brady said. "We started working on this in 2007, so this is almost the end of the road."