A plan to expand the Frick Collection in Manhattan with a six-story tower has been abandoned. Protestors railed against a 106-foot-tall addition that would be built over the historic mansion's Russell Page Garden. A movement to preserve the garden, and the Frick's cherished intimate scale, called for a halt to the expansion which was announced a year ago. 

Unite to Save the Frick, a group spearheading the protest, issued a statement on Thursday. The group said it "is grateful to the thousands whose love for the Frick Collection extends to its historic Gilded Age residence and masterful landscapes as equally as the artful treasurers within. All have been passionately raising their voices in opposition to the ill-conceived expansion; writing to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio; signing an online petition alongside nearly 6,000 others; penning informative articles that raised the profile of this issue; engaging in social media advocacy and participating in awareness-raising events, and so much more."

"Alternatives include moving some offices off-site to open the Frick mansion’s second floor as galleries and renovating and repurposing underutilized space, successful precedents for which exist locally and abroad," stated the release.

The New York Times reports that the museum's board has yet to make a final vote on ending the plan. A museum official spoke to the NYT, saying of the decision, "There was just a number of voices out there and we heard them."