Posted on 06/15/2019 8:43:50 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The Strand Bookstore, a New York City icon home to 2.5 million books and 92 years of storefront history, was commemorated by the city and chosen as a historic city landmark this week. Nancy Bass Wyden, the store's third-generation owner, isn't taking it as a compliment.
"Some people have congratulated me and I said, 'No, this is no congratulations. This is a punishment,' " Bass Wyden tells NPR's Scott Simon.
Bass Wyden feels that the designation is counterproductive.
"We don't need the city to come in and just put red tape and bureaucracy and take control over decision-makings of the store. ... It's really no honor," Bass Wyden says. "We're already a landmark."
The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission proposed the Strand become a landmark last year and produced a brief explaining its rationale: "The Strand became a center of literary life in Lower Manhattan and is an internationally-recognized destination for New Yorkers and visitors alike."
In 1927, Bass Wyden's grandfather opened the store on a thoroughfare in New York called "Book Row." Since then, the city's bookstores have dwindled, but the Strand remained a powerhouse of literary influence.
Bass Wyden inherited the store from her father, Fred Bass, who died last year. He ran the store for much of his life and oversaw its transformation from one of many used bookstores into a New York cultural institution.
The store owner's primary objection is that the commission's decision will incur additional costs to the store and make repairs or changes burdensome.
"They get to decide what color our sign is, our awning is, what material we use," Bass Wyden says. "They get to decide what kind of windows we have, what kind of metal we use on our doors. Anything that has to even be put on the rooftop, they get the decision-making on that and it's just wrong. It's just unfair."
NYC mayor Bill de Blasio addressed Bass Wyden's concerns in a press conference, reported by the New York Post.
He attempted to quell Bass Wyden's protestations and assure New Yorkers that preservation will not pose a problem to the store.
"We think she's interpreting [regulations for city landmarks] wrongly and that we can show her where this is not going to add cost to her operation," de Blasio said.
In addition to de Blasio's comments, Sarah Carroll, Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, wrote about the decision in a Medium post.
"I have personally met with the owner of the Strand building over the last nine months to understand her concerns over designation and the types of changes she is planning for the building," Carroll wrote. "Our regulatory system is efficient and flexible, and I am confident that designation will not impact plans for the Strand Bookstore. In fact, the type of work she has described is typical for commercial storefronts and permits can often be issued quickly by staff."
Bass Wyden remains unconvinced. She calls the designation "eminent domain" and "a bureaucratic straitjacket" from the city.
"We run on fragile margins and we employ a lot of people — we have 288 employees, most of which are unionized — and we're known for our good value in books," Bass Wyden says. "So it's just another city cost pounding on us unnecessarily."
Leftists are always trying to fix what isn’t broken.
That sounds like anti-revolutionary talk. The committee needs to ensure she is selling the right kind of books.
#me2 = poundmetoo.
A Kulak perhaps?
Democrats are scum.
1984 all over this.
Control. It’s about control.
She can do whatever she wants with her business, as long as someone else (who has no clue how to run the business and doesn’t really care if it stays open or not) says it’s okay.
It really shouldn’t be a distraction. The owner just needs to accept that she now has a new managing partner.
bttt
Once the American Founders' idea of individual liberty and freedom of individual enterprise is abandoned in favor of "another idea" favoring control by some individuals or groups over other individuals or groups, then America is no longer the America of the United States Constitution.
Bravo for her. She is correct and DeBlasio wrong.
The escalating grip of government on our store fronts ( in our case California) is not only costly but causes you to have to deal with another layer of government employees that think they know more than you but have the right to intrude on how you’ve become, and remained successful.
Worse these idiots actually think they are helping you.
I join her in saying FO. I need my customers not you Gov dogooders
One of our stores is a bookstore started. In 1981 that still thrives today. All other bookstores in town have passed on. We’ve lived a horror story on a restaurant building we own. Continuing .... erghhhh
“That sounds like anti-revolutionary talk. The committee needs to ensure she is selling the right kind of books.”
Nancy Bass Wyden is already guilty of thought crimes against the ruling class!
She will be re-educated until she is in sync with the progressive hive mind. Purging of non-approved books will begin slowly but ramp up as her integration with the collective becomes complete.
The Hive for all, all for the Hive!
Interesting that Strand owner Nancy Bass Wyden is married to left-wing nutcase Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, who is all about government control of everything. It's good that she has preserved a "keep your hands off my business" attitude through 14 years with that guy.
"Some people have congratulated me and I said, 'No, this is no congratulations. This is a punishment,' " Bass Wyden tells NPR's Scott Simon... "We don't need the city to come in and just put red tape and bureaucracy and take control over decision-makings of the store. ... It's really no honor," Bass Wyden says. "We're already a landmark." ...The store owner's primary objection is that the commission's decision will incur additional costs to the store and make repairs or changes burdensome. "They get to decide what color our sign is, our awning is, what material we use," Bass Wyden says. "They get to decide what kind of windows we have, what kind of metal we use on our doors. Anything that has to even be put on the rooftop, they get the decision-making on that and it's just wrong. It's just unfair." NYC mayor Bill de Blasio... in a press conference... attempted to quell Bass Wyden's protestations... [s/b, tried to shut her up] "We think she's interpreting [regulations for city landmarks] wrongly and that we can show her where this is not going to add cost to her operation," de Blasio said... Sarah Carroll, Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, wrote... "I have personally met with the owner of the Strand building over the last nine months to understand her concerns over designation and the types of changes she is planning for the building... Our regulatory system is efficient and flexible, and I am confident that designation will not impact plans for the Strand Bookstore. In fact, the type of work she has described is typical for commercial storefronts and permits can often be issued quickly by staff." Bass Wyden remains unconvinced. She calls the designation "eminent domain" and "a bureaucratic straitjacket" from the city. "We run on fragile margins and we employ a lot of people — we have 288 employees, most of which are unionized — and we're known for our good value in books," Bass Wyden says. "So it's just another city cost pounding on us unnecessarily."
If NYC's single party state dictatorship were concerned about the disappearance of bookstores, it would have cut NYC taxation a long time ago. That would also reduce the need for a "landmarks commission" in the first place. Thanks BenLurkin.
Maybe Ms. Wyden should read Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead...
This family store should keep their fire insurance up to date. It would be real shame if...
Couldn’t happen to a better liberal...poor baby...she’s married to Ronnie Wyden who is the Senator from OREGON...so he says.
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