The Landmarks Preservation Commission asked the New York City Council subcommittee to review five proposed individual landmark designations in Midtown South that LPC says document the neighborhood’s historic garment and fur trades.

Margaret Hermann, LPC director of research, said the commission designated five buildings after a Midtown South Initiative study and public hearings: the Barbee (Barbie) Building; Fashion Tower; Furcraft Building; the connected 29th Street Towers; and the Leftcourt (Left Court/Leff Court) Clothing Center. Hermann described each building’s architectural features, historic uses for garment and fur manufacturing and showroom functions, and summarized outreach to property owners and stakeholders.

During the joint public hearing, attorney Richard Lobel testified on behalf of the owner of 135 West 36th Street (one property among the five) to oppose the designation. Lobel argued the designation conflicts with Midtown South rezoning goals to produce housing and affordability, saying the owner planned a conversion that could yield roughly 120 housing units including about 30 affordable units; he called LPC’s architectural case "weak" and said some facade features were restored by the owner within the last 30 years.

Owner Kenneth Lee also testified that his family has operated in the Garment District for decades and opposed landmarking, saying the designation would add cost and delay to an adaptive‑reuse conversion. Architect Dan Russo, participating remotely, described procedural and design uncertainties that follow a commission‑level designation: simultaneous LPC and Department of Buildings filings, a required mock‑up for relocated floor area, discretionary commission review of new bulk, lender risk, and estimated additional time (8–12 months or more) and out‑of‑pocket mock‑up costs (he said roughly $200,000).

Margaret Hermann responded that LPC operates small grant programs and that state tax credits exist for preservation work, but she did not provide project‑specific financial offsets at the hearing. Committee members asked about available financial assistance and whether the proposed conversion would include Mandatory Inclusionary Housing; owner representatives said the conversion concept included roughly 25% affordable units of the proposed 120 units.

The subcommittee closed the public hearing on LU 415–419 and laid the items over for further review; no final Council vote occurred at the meeting.

Context and implications: LPC framed the designations as filling a gap in designations from roughly 1910–1930 that shaped Midtown South’s garment center. Owners warned that landmark status, while preserving historic fabric, could make conversions to housing more expensive and slower, affecting local housing supply and affordability objectives tied to the Midtown South rezoning.

Next steps: The items were laid over; the Council will consider the designations in later stages of the ULURP/Land Use review process.