(Photo via CharneyConstruction.com)
Williamsburg’s Dime Savings Bank has been declared a New York City landmark. The unanimous vote at a Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing today was cast two weeks after a public hearing in which the historical designation was supported by individuals such as the property owner and City Council member Antonio Reynoso. As an LPC staff member noted, the building’s elegant design along with the history associated with Williamsburg’s historic financial center were significant reasons to justify the building as a landmark.
The neo-classical building, located at 209 Havemeyer Street, was constructed between 1906 and 1908. Designed by the architectural firm Helmle & Huberty, the Dime Savings Bank was built during a period of growth in the neighborhood that followed the construction of the Williamsburg Bridge in 1903, according to an LPC report.
“The monumental Indiana limestone building is set on a granite foundation and is defined by a temple-front with four fluted Corinthian columns that support a pediment with modillions, dentils, incised signage, and a clock,” reads the report. “The building, which retains a high level of integrity, has a strong presence in the neighborhood and is significant for its elegant design and history associated with Williamsburg’s historic financial center.”
Two years ago, Bedford + Bowery brought news that a 22-story tower was set to rise above the Dime Savings Bank. Back then, the developers planned to retain the bank’s footprint on the ground floor– which would have been converted into commercial space– and to build some 175 residential units and about 100,000 square feet of office space above it. According to Curbed, today’s landmarking was supported by the tower’s developer, and they’ll be incorporating the landmark into the overall project.