Strand Bookstore Owner Protests Against New York City Landmarking: NPR

Fred Bass, who died in 2018, and his daughter Nancy Bass Wyden sort used books at Strand Bookstore on February 21, 2007.

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Fred Bass, who died in 2018, and his daughter Nancy Bass Wyden sort used books at Strand Bookstore on February 21, 2007.

Mary Altaffer / AP

The Strand Bookstore, an icon of New York City with 2.5 million books and 92 years of history, was commemorated by the city and chosen as the city's historic landmark this week. Nancy Bass Wyden, owner of the third generation of the store, does not take it as a compliment.

"Some people even congratulated me and said," No, it is not a congratulation. It's a punishment, "says Bass Wyden to Scott Simon of NPR.

Bass Wyden believes this designation is counterproductive.

"We do not need the city to enter, put in bureaucracy and bureaucratic red tape, and take control of the store's decision-making – it's really not an honor," says Bass Wyden. . "We are already a landmark."

The New York Monument Preservation Commission has proposed that the Strand become a landmark last year and publishes a paper explaining its reasoning: "The Strand has become a center of literary life in Lower Manhattan and a destination for internationally renowned for New Yorkers and visitors. "

In 1927, Bass Wyden's grandfather opened the store in an artery in New York called "Book Row". Since then, the bookstores of the city have declined, but the Strand has remained a center of literary influence.

Bass Wyden inherited the store from his father, Fred Bass, who died last year. He ran the store for much of his life and oversaw his transformation from one of the many bookstores into a New York cultural institution.

Nancy Bass Wyden speaks at an event devoted to the Strand book on May 29, 2015.

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Cindy Ord / Getty Images

Nancy Bass Wyden speaks at an event devoted to the Strand book on May 29, 2015.

Cindy Ord / Getty Images

The store owner's main objection is that the commission's decision will result in additional costs for the store and make repairs or modifications cumbersome.

"They decide the color of our sign, our awning, the material we use," says Bass Wyden. "They decide the type of windows we have, the type of metal we use for our doors.Everything that needs to be put on the roof, it has to make the decision on it and it's just wrong. It's unfair. "

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke of Bass Wyden's concerns at a press conference, reported by the New York Post.

He tried to quell Bass Wyden's protests and assure New Yorkers that conservation would not be a problem for the store.

"We think she's interpreting [regulations for city landmarks] wrongly and that we can show him where this is not going to add cost to his operation, "said de Blasio.

In addition to De Blasio's comments, Sarah Carroll, Chair of the Historic Monuments Preservation Commission, wrote about the decision in a Medium article.

"I have personally met the owner of the Strand Building over the past nine months to understand her concerns regarding the designation and the types of changes that she envisions for the building," she said. wrote Carroll. "Our regulatory system is efficient and flexible, and I am confident that the designation will not affect Strand bookstore projects.In fact, the type of work described is typical of commercial showcases and permits can often be issued quickly by staff. "

Still, Bass Wyden is not convinced. It calls the designation "eminent domain" and "a bureaucratic straitjacket" of the city.

"We work on fragile margins and we employ a lot of staff – we have 288 employees, most of whom are unionized – and we are known for the value of our books," says Bass Wyden. "So, it's only another city that costs us unnecessarily costs."

NPR's Sophia Alvarez Boyd produced this story for broadcast.