Crumbling Old School Hides Rich Black History, Prompting Landmark Push

The city's Landmark Preservation Commission pushed the vacant building, last used by the Department of Sanitation, a step closer to landmark status.

CHELSEA, Manhattan – A lasting reminder of discrimination against Black New Yorkers is represented by a building that has been empty for years and fallen into disrepair -- but that could soon change for the better.

The shattered glass and rough facade of the building on West 17th Street in Chelsea make it easy to ignore, but not for long.

"I had been by it 1,000 times," said Erik K. Washington, an author, and historian. "It'd be such a missed opportunity not to preserve this."

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