All topics / Promoting Viable Communities and Neighborhoods / Landmarks Preservation Commission
Archaeology applications reviewed within 10 business days (%)
Identify and protect qualifying architectural, historical, cultural, and archaeological assets in all five boroughs. — Evaluate potential impacts to archaeological resources in a timely manner.
LPC has kept this review comfortably ahead of its 85% target every year, consistently in the high 90s. The agency credits its dedicated four-person Archaeology Department along with revised archaeology review guidelines it issued to make the process more efficient, transparent, and consistent for applicants.
Researched July 19, 2026 — LPC, "LPC Releases New Guidelines For Archaeological Work In NYC", LPC, Archaeology Department
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 98% | 85% |
| FY23 | 97% | 85% |
| FY24 | 97% | 85% |
| FY25 | 97% | 85% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 98% | 85% |
Why this is tracked
The original Penn Station, a Beaux-Arts landmark completed in 1910, was demolished starting in 1963 to make way for a new Madison Square Garden, and at the time there was no city agency with legal authority to prevent the loss of a building simply because of its historic or architectural value. The public outcry over its destruction directly led Mayor Robert Wagner to sign the Landmarks Law on April 15, 1965, creating the Landmarks Preservation Commission as the first city body empowered to formally designate and protect historic buildings, and helped spur similar preservation laws nationwide.
Penn Station and the Rise of Historic Preservation — MCNY Blog, Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963) — Wikipedia
Source: LPC Archaeology Department — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: The percentage of archaeology applications reviewed within 10 business days of receipt of a completed application. LPC regulates work that may affect protected archeological (below grade) features at sites that are designated to protect archeological resources, such as cemeteries. LPC reviews plans to determine potential effects on known or unknown archeological resources and reviews plans for the treatment of any artifacts discovered in the course of the project.