Channel 13 Vids Out on the Navy Yard
Channel 13 has just put together a neat video about the history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard narrated by Rubena Ross, who has the distinction of not only having worked at the Navy Yard circa WWII but having owned the house in Prospect Heights that is now the subject of the latest This Olde House…
Channel 13 has just put together a neat video about the history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard narrated by Rubena Ross, who has the distinction of not only having worked at the Navy Yard circa WWII but having owned the house in Prospect Heights that is now the subject of the latest This Olde House series. Check it out!
I have to agree in spirit with Sam. I don’t know the particulars, as PHeights does, but I don’t understand how they can be so proud of the historic buildings, when they have done so little to make sure they don’t collapse. I had never seen photos of the surgeon’s house before, it is a gorgeous example of mid 19th century architecture, and seems to be at that midpoint between restorable and salvageable, but harder than it needs to be, because it was allowed to deteriorate.
I certainly understand the need to develop the commercial side of the yard, and fully support that, not only because of jobs, growth, etc, but because that should provide money for preservation. But they need to look into spending some of that capital on stabilizing and protecting most of these buildings now, or there won’t be anything left to preserve.
Sam – sorry, but your last comment is about as far away from the truth as can be. The images in that video are mostly from the 1800’s. By the time the majority of the property was transferred in the 1960’s, it had already significantly detriorated. Moreover the area surrounding the hospital and surgeon’s house (which is the primary ares highlighted in this video)was still owned and operated by the Navy until just a couple of years ago. Those buildings were allowed to get to that state by the Navy. I have no dog in this fight, I am willing to blame the guilty parties. The truth is that once the city got control of the property, the didn’t invest in it for the first 20 years or so, which only made the situation worse. But the property they got from the feds was NOT in shipshape or immaculate.
Harsh? Progress?
When the city purchased the complex I am sure it was in perfect, military, shipshape. Look at the old views in the video. The place was immaculate! Look at it now. An outdoor museum of decrepitude!
You don’t think that is a disgrace?
Sure they have built a hideous new movie studio in its own gated-community-within-a-gated community, but what about the great old buildings? They treat them like crap. What a terrible mistreatment of history. Compare it to the Presidio in San Francisco. It is a municipal shame and eyesore. They can only get away with it because it is closed to the public although it was purchased with public funds. Like the Empire Stores it is a testament to how badly Brooklyn has been treated by the State and City governments. They still think we are the junkheap of Manhattan.
Sam – thsat’s a bit harsh. The City and Navy Yard have been investing tens of million of dollars every year to bring the Navy Yard back, but it’s a big place and the amount of work left to be done is still large. The video could have just as easily focused on the over 3 million of square feet in the navy yard that have been renovated and are filled with thirving small businesses. Just see Curbed’s posting about the snazzy new NYPD building that is almost complete in the navy yard, or look at the $100 million Steiner Studios complex. Instead, this filmmaker was obviously interested in the parts of the yards that are still yet to happen. These things take along time. Much progress has been made, which we should applaud. We should also be heartened by how much the Navy Yard folks obviously care about the history of the property and work with them to give them the support they need to finish this crucial mission.
The city of NY once again lives up to its old reputation of being a terrible landlord. Old sturdy buildings, with important histories, left to rot and collapse under their own weight from lack of care, lack of imagination, lack of intelligent stewardship. I found the video very depressing. It is quite an indictment of the city and the Navy Yard Corporation. They should not be proud of the decrepitude and waste. It reminds me of some remote third world country where there is no money for paint or window glass. Pathetic.
nice vid
Great new semi-govt frontier if only the spaces are more affordable. Like a veiled fortress, it is a fortress.