New York's Strand bookshop begs to avoid official landmarking

Affirmative. An example: our office is in a landmark building a few blocks from Strand. Couple years ago there was a leak on the roof. While fixing, they found absestos, which they we're required to remove. But, because we are a landmark building, the facade had to be put back exactly as it appeared before the work. The construction took a year longer and was significantly more expensive than would have been without landmark status.

Some people are saying her reasons may also be strictly monetary, like having the option available to sell later.

There's also the implication that the Landmarks Preservation Committee "cherry-picked" the Strand building while ignoring other more vulnerable buildings. More details on the background of the controversy can be found on the Gothamist web site.

http://gothamist.com/2018/12/04/strand_landmark_fight.php