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LIC's Elks Lodge Building Not Significant Enough to Landmark, City Says

 The city says the site at 21-42 44th Dr. is not as architecturally or historically important as others.
Residents Rally to Preserve Elks Lodge in LIC
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LONG ISLAND CITY — The Landmarks Preservation Commission shot down a bid by locals to landmark the former Elks Lodge Building in Court Square, telling an elected official the site isn't significant enough for the designation.

LPC Commissioner Meenakshi Srinivasan said the building, at 21-42 44th Dr., lacks the "historical and architectural significance" compared to similar sites and doesn't merit landmark status, according to a letter she sent to Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan last week.

Nolan, other lawmakers and residents have recently been pushing to preserve the building — known for its ornate facade carved with elk heads and wreaths — out of fear it's headed for demolition after developers told a local news site they wanted to build condos there.

The buildings' owners started illegally tearing down parts of the property last month, in a move that outraged locals who believed it was an attempt by the developers to thwart their landmark attempts.

But it seems the LPC has no intention of landmarking the site regardless.

In her letter to Nolan last week, Srinivasan said the commission determined last year that the property didn't warrant landmark status, but reviewed the building again and came to "the same conclusion."

She said the Lodge — which was most recently home to the Sheet Metal Workers Union — is not as important as "other landmarked clubhouses" — including another former Elks Lodge at 82-10 Queens Blvd. that the LPC chose to landmark in 2001.

In response to Srinivasan's letter, Nolan said she was disappointed in the decision, calling the Elks Lodge "truly a unique structure" that should be saved for future residents.

Bob Singleton of the Greater Astoria Historical Society, which has also been involved in the preservation push, said he would "beg to differ" with the LPC's decision and argues it's both architecturally and culturally significant to the neighborhood.

Built in 1908, the property was renovated by renowned architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle in 1914, who is thought to be responsible for its decorative facade, according to Singleton. 

It was one of the original clubhouses for the Queens Elks Lodge Number 878, a local chapter of the social group the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and was also later home to the Knights of Columbus, he said.

"The building itself had [an] extremely important cultural imprint on the community for decades," he said, adding the community had hoped the building could be used in the future as a public space.

"It's buildings like this that make a successful community, and I do think the wishes of the community should be respected," he continued.