City Council Approves Main Street Building for Local Landmark Status
The Yonkers City Council granted local landmark status to the Main Street United States Post Office Building at its meeting on February 14, 2023.
The Yonkers Main Post Office, already on the National Register of Historic Places and now doubly protected by local landmark status, is a significant Neo-Classical building in downtown Yonkers. It is essentially the only public building representing this particular period of American architecture in all of the city. Built in 1927 to an extraordinary level of quality of materials and design, it looks much the same today as it did nearly a century ago when it joined the New York Railroad Station, then recently constructed in 1912, as an anchor and inflection point for the city merely steps away from the Hudson River. The two buildings together created a grand entrance to the heart of downtown Yonkers, much as they do today.
Should the Post Office ever decide to sell its building and the underlying property, the westerly side of Main Street, an attractive oasis of low-rise historic properties, could be despoiled by yet another tall residential building.
This local landmark designation adds a layer of protection for the Post Office and enables the Landmarks Preservation Board to retain some control on any future use of the site should the USPS decide to deaccession this particular post office.
Should the USPS decide to sell the building it could be retained in its architectural glory and reimaged as a wonderful food market a la NYC’s Chelsea Market; a boutique hotel; a city museum; or any of a number of reuses that could be an exciting and stimulating addition to the growth of the Yonkers downtown area.
The Landmarks Preservation Board and the City Council are to be commended for their visionary foresight in preserving this beautiful, unique structure for future generations.
