Presentations have been made for the Evelyn and Everett Ortner Preservation Awards, given annually to projects in Park Slope by a community organization called the Park Slope Civic Council. Recipients of the awards are selected by an independent jury of experts in architecture, historic preservation and community engagement.
The awards honor Evelyn and Everett Ortner, who were “early and vigorous promoters of the borough of Park Slope as a historic site worth preserving and nurturing,” as the New York Times put it. They were long-time residents of and advocates for the Park Slope community. Since the 1960s they have played a pivotal role in transforming Park Slope – then a neighborhood in decline – into the vibrant community it is today.
The awards honor local projects compatible with the neighborhood’s architecture and efforts to preserve the area’s historic character.
For rehabilitation of a historic structure, an award has been presented to ZR Empire & Associates, Leonard Colchamiro Architects and Scott Henson Architect for the Tracy Mansion, located at 105 8th Avenue. This Neo-Classical townhouse was designed by Frank J. Helme and was most recently a Montessori school. This category is awarded for significant exterior modifications, alterations and/or additions to a building to make it habitable and compatible with its original architectural character.
The awards were presented at the next Park Slope Civic Council meeting on Thursday, March 1, at 7 p.m. The Park Slope Civic Council, a volunteer organization formed in 1896, advocates for locals and aims to improve the neighborhood. For more information about the awards, click here.
