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November 9, 2007
For Officer's Row, Supermarket All But Certain
As the Daily News noted yesterday, Wednesday's announcement of the preservation of the Navy Yard's Building 92 in conjunction with the creation of its $15 million Historical Center was bittersweet news for preservationists in light of the seemingly inevitable demolition of Officers Row just a few hundred feet down Flushing Avenue after the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp. takes possession of the dilapidated buildings from the Army Corps of Engineeers in, all likelihood, the next few weeks. "The clear difference between this building and those is simple: This building is preservable," said BNYDC head Andrew Kimball, defending the decision. "Those buildings essentially would have to be rebuilt from the ground up." Some preservationists aren't buying it: "It's ironic for an investment to be made in presenting photographs of Admiral's Row when no efforts have been made to live up to the opportunity to actually restore the buildings themselves," said Gary Hattem of the Historic Wallabout Association. (For an emotional but calm take on the situation, check out this post from Calla Lillie, who has been involved with try to save Officer's Row.) The real issue, it seems to us, is not whether the buildings can be rebuilt, it's whether it's worth it to spend the $30 to $40 million to do so. The BNYDC thinks the money is better spent on other things: As has been public for some time, the development corporation plans to build a supermarket on the site. The local population, which consists largely of residents of the Farragut, Whitman and Ingersoll housing projects, has been underserved (to put it mildly) in this department for years. In addition, the supermarket would most likely have 200 to 300 parking spots, making it a driving destination for those in surrounding neighborhoods. The BNYDC plans to put out an RFP in early 2008 after holding a design charrette with the community; the supermarket would go in the "retail" space above and share a parking lot with up to 50,000 square feet of retail space and 150,000 square feet of industrial and/or studio space in Building B. The two buildings together could generate as many as 500 jobs, according to BNYDC. As for the ultimate tenant? We hear it could end up being a lot "higher-end" than many have assumed. Something like Fairway is a real possibility for the location. It turns out the chain's store on Van Brunt, for example, has been a bit hit with the residents of the Red Hook Houses. What do you think the odds are of Fairway doubling down in Brooklyn?
Navy Yard Museum Approved but 'Admiral's Row' Gotta Go [NY Daily News] GMAP
About Officer's Row [OfficersRow.org]
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Comments
Parking? What a terrible idea. Why is this necessary? Even if they want some parking, why 200-300 spots?
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 10:27 AM
Last year I had conversations with people who work within BNYDC regarding what supermarket would open in that space, and I was told then that it would be a 'shoprite' or 'stop & shop', but not Fairway.
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 10:30 AM
I think the size of the parking lot may be linked to a zoning requirement of how many spaces you need per square foot of retail on this location, but I'm not sure. Anyone out there a zoning guru? From the City planning zoning map it looks like it's zoned M1-2.
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 10:41 AM
I just got back from Europe where urban design decisions appear to be level headed, thought out and creative. This is the opposite of that. What a waste. What the hell is wrong with everybody? Is this Brooklyn or Duluth?
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 10:44 AM
Hey, this is 10:41. I just checked the zoning regs. According to section 44-21 a food store of at least 2,000 SF needs to have 1 spot per every 200 SF of store. I believe the Navy Yard has been talking about a 50,000 SF supermarket - which would mean a requirement for 250 spots. I personally think that a parking lot is a horrible use of space here, but you can blame outdated zoning regs for that, not the Navy Yard. I've actually come across this all over south Brooklyn - parking requirements that don't recognize the desnity of btownstone Brooklyn, and treat it like a suburban district. Many of the developments in downtown brooklyn have parking requirements too despite being half a block from 8 subway lines. Hey Amanda Burden! You wanna take a look at that?
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 10:58 AM
this is a very confusing and inexplicably bad plan set forth by bloomberg's "destroy-everything" development squadron. the solution is very simple, preserve the historic structures. put a supermarket in the former brigg site like you said you were going to do before. keep the history and put the new buildings and supermarkets in the vacant lots.
another thing to note on this issue, the city does not currently own admirals row. they have to own it before they can level it.
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 10:59 AM
disguisting
and we all know its gonna be a finefare
fucking projects
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 11:13 AM
Well, I guess this will be another entry in Forgotten New York.
Pah! Typical of this administration's zeal to be the one to rebuild NYC on the fallen bricks of the old. They could have done both the supermarket and preserved the Row, as per 10:59's comment.
Short sighted, very short sighted. Look for a bronze plaque on the side of the new supermarket - "On this location stood Admiral's Row. We could have saved it 30 years ago when it was much more easily restored, but the Feds and the city let it rot. We've replaced our nation's history with a parking lot and a place to buy diapers, dogfood and beer. Isn't America wonderful?"
Preservationista
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 11:22 AM
It really is a crime that the Army Corps has let Admirals Row rot the way they have. They're beautiful buildings. But the roofs have been gone for ages--there are trees growing inside of them. Once you let that happen to a building, it's not long for this world.
And how about some props for the city's current momentum in the Navy Yard area? It's a site of incredible potential that's been wasted for the past 30 years. Now things are happening. Steiner Studios is thriving, there are plans for a community arts center per the Times last week, and there's talk of a desperately needed grocery store that sells actual vegetables and unspoiled meat--and people are pissed about it? Please.
Bring on the Fairway!!!!!
Posted by: Rehab at November 9, 2007 11:35 AM
guarantee you that it will be a key food or finefar or ctown
destroy history, build a ghetto supermarket for ghetto dwellers
with parking
brilliant
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 12:33 PM
If it's going to be a high end supermarket it will not last long UNLESS it can attract lots of people driving from other areas ala Fairways in Red Hook. Thats my guess as to why they have such a large parking lot - theyre hoping to pull in lots of people from other areas.
The prices at high end stores would be suicidal in that location without people driving in. You cannot sustain that business with just 2 busy weeks per month, which is what will happen in a location like that without other people drving in.
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 12:59 PM
so it wont service the people living in the projects if its high end
why build it (there) at all then???
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 1:20 PM
They would still service the projects, but they cannot sustain themselves purely on project business. That is only good for the first two weeks of the month.
They must be hoping for the Fairway effect. So many people drive in to fairway from surrounding areas. Without that extra business driving in, fairway would probably be closed by now.
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 1:48 PM
1:20....you cant seriously think they are building a supermarket to service the longtime residents. where do the residents of dumbo shop?
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 1:50 PM
11:35 AM, keep on joking
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 2:01 PM
Um (and I hate to "um," but it's warranted here), a Navy Yard location for Fairway would be immediately adjacent to thousands upon thousands of people who buy rack of lamb and organic nettle salad, as well as every other income range. Ft. Greene, Clinton Hill, even some Boerem Hill residents, not to mention Billyburg and Bed-Stuy folks would instantly have a closer, higher-quality option than they have now. It has, as mentioned before, both high-end and regular grocery stuff, and their prices are the best in town. (Example: Huge package of fresh rosemary at Fair is $1.29, compared to package half the size at every other grocery in the country for $2.50. Love Fairway!
And there's no way the powers that be are prepping out this high-profile site for a frickin' C-Town.
Posted by: Rehab at November 9, 2007 3:46 PM
The tenant's associations in both of the housing projects nearby have been unanimous in stating that they don't want a supermarket to be built in place of Admiral's Row, or any other drive-in box store. They have said this in large part because they want admiral's row to be a destination and not have the neigborhood just be a blur to all those suburban-style drive-in shoppers that such a box store or large supermarket would surely attract.
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 4:01 PM
12:59, 1:48 a supermarket can absolutly sustain with 'just' 2 busy weeks per month... 4:01 you are kidding, right?
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 10:13 PM
myth #1: Fairway is popular shopping with residents of the Red Hook Houses.
Fact: During first few weeks of opening sales prices, yes.
They aren't there in droves now. Fairway does hire out of the Red Hook Houses, but employees are only allowed to shop there one day a week so if you live in the houses and work there, your access to that great food is limited. If you put a Fairway in Admiral's row, it is there to serve the newly arrived money from DUMBO to Williamsburg and inland in Fort Greene because it will be beyond price of the VERY underserved folks in the projects there.
But here's a better land use option: Put the supermarket on top of the school. Bloomberg administration has already announced a program of selling air rights over schools and public libaries. The school is kitty corner from Admiral's Row. That's a win win. food AND preservation.
Posted by: guest at November 10, 2007 8:43 AM
The 10:27 guest hit the nail on the head. They don't want to demolish Officers' Row for a supermarket, they want to demolish it to BUILD PARKING for the supermarket.
This is the city we're talking about. They can, and should, go through the process to change the zoning regulations. It's idiotic to require a supermarket to have so many parking spaces in a neighborhood where everyone walks.
Take out the parking and there's room in the Navy Yard for the supermarket AND Officers' Row.
Posted by: grvsmth at November 10, 2007 9:26 AM
4:01 - I don't know what you're talking about. I've been to many community meetings with residents of the farragut houses and more than half of the residents assembled were pro a supermarket. So please don't spread rumors and try to speak for the residents of the housing prjojects.
9:26AM - Even without the lot you would still lose half the houses.
Posted by: guest at November 10, 2007 6:55 PM
My name is T'neil Essor. I was Elected Teen Mayor of NYc in 2005. This was an idea done by a few high school students, who felt the Fort Greene Community needed healthier food options. As active members of our community we proposed the idea to city council, very similar to one proposed by BNYDC minths later. The idea is to serve residents with healthier options. It would really cost much more to continuously preserve admiral's row when a supermarket has much benefit. The idea is to break down Admiral's Row and build a supermarket, also with an employment office. That would also include a parking area. As we all know many mega shopping areas have parking, its basically equivalent to any large retail store.
I just wanted to clear up any rumors. Also I am workign very closely with BNYDC as well as Letitia James, Marty Markowitz and Mayor Bloomberg on this issue.
If Anyone should have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to email me @ tessor@sljhs.org.
Thank YOU
Posted by: guest at December 15, 2007 2:58 PM
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