http://www.nypost.com/seven/06162009...dg__174487.htm
June 16, 2009
Once, somebody at AIG was proud of its 70 Pine St. headquarters -- so proud that the insurer holds the copyright on Daniel Abramson's 2001 book, "Skyscraper Rivals: AIG and the Architecture of Wall Street."
But the now-embattled insurer's love for the 66-story, Art Deco tower -- now in contract to be sold to a partnership led by Manhattan-based Youngwoo & Associates -- might have had its limits.
At least once in the past, the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission considered designating the classic structure, a skyline icon since 1930, as a protected city landmark. But it never took action, partly because of resistance by AIG itself, according to one of the city's leading preservationists.
As we reported last week, Peg Breen, president of the private New York Landmarks Conservancy, wrote to Landmarks Preservation Commission Chairman Robert Tierney, urging the LPC to take up the case of 70 Pine St. (Without the city's landmark imprimatur, a new owner could alter the tower's appearance or even demolish it.)
Now we've seen a copy of the letter. Breen called 70 Pine St. "by far, the most significant Art Deco skyscraper in the city that has not yet been afforded landmark protection."
She wrote, "although the commission's past efforts to designate the building were rebuffed by AIG, now that they are selling . . . the time is right to move forward with individual landmark designation."
Breen declined to comment on the letter.
LPC spokeswoman Elizabeth de Bourbon, who last week told us Tierney and his team have been "looking at [70 Pine St.] for some time," yesterday said there was "nothing in the [LPC's] file to substantiate" that AIG had opposed landmarking 70 Pine St., and, "no one here knows anything about it."
But Tierney became chairman only in 2003, and de Bourbon acknowledged that an exchange with AIG could have taken place prior to that.
She said Tierney had not yet responded to Breen as her letter was received only a few days ago.
An AIG spokesman declined to comment on whether the company would endorse or oppose landmarking 70 Pine St.
Youngwoo did not respond to the same question.