Preservation
October 5, 2009
Admiring Admiral's Row
Admiral’s Row, the 19th-century, Second Empire-style officers' quarters at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, has been receiving attention from preservationists for some time now. The Fort Greene Association, for example, has been campaigning for at least four years to save these historic buildings. And The New York Times this weekend profiled another preservationist, Scott Witter, an architect who runs Brooklyn’s Other Museum of Brooklyn—an eclectic homage to Admiral's Row, Brooklyn, and forgotten times, which is run out of a private home near the BQE. The article recounts the recent plans for the 11 buildings of the row: the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation will raze nine of them and develop the land for a supermarket, parking, and retail. The city says the buildings would cost too much to rebuild, and the federal government condemned most of the row last spring—a verdict that Witter and groups like the New York Landmarks Conservancy and the Historic Districts Council oppose, especially since, according to the Times, "a 2008 report commissioned by the Army Corps of Engineers found the superstructures of the Admiral’s Row houses to be generally 'sound, level and plumb.'" B.O.M.B., Witter's museum, is open at 102 Steuben Street on Tuesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
A Tiny Museum's Mission: to Still the Wrecking Ball [NY Times]
August 3, 2009
Fight to Landmark the Home of Nathan's
Preservation of Coney Island is such a charged topic that it has practically become an official Brooklyn sport. The next round in the game is one resident's attempt to save the Nathan's hotdog building by granting it landmark status and forcing developments to take root elsewhere. The petition, launched on Sunday, had 51 supporters at the time of this post, with a goal of 50,000. Note also that PetitionSpot, the site hosting the petition, has another, similar petition here, with 34 supporters and a goal of 100,000. Do you think the Nathan's building is worth the fight? For a little history, check out the Flickr posting of the above photo from Wallyg.
May 28, 2009
It's Curtains for Most of Admiral's Row
Despite the best efforts of preservationists, who generated a number of proposals detailing how the Admiral's Row structures could be maintained while also allowing for the construction of a supermarket, most of the historic buildings on the Navy Yard site are slated to be demolished, according to Crain's. The Timber Shed (above) and one of the 10 other buildings on the site will be preserved, according to a statement released by Andrew Kimball, president of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp, who also said that a request for proposals for a developer to build a supermarket and manufacturing space will go out in the next 90 days. The process will result in the redevelopment of “what has become a blighted eyesore that has burdened the community and the Brooklyn Navy Yards for decades,” said Kimball. While the news is a blow for preservationists, it's certainly not an unexpected one.
Admiral’s Row Demolition Near [Crain's]
Ugly Politics May Trump Reason in Admiral's Row Saga [Brownstoner]
Admiral's Row: Up Close and Personal [Brownstoner]
MAS Floats Plans to Preserve Admiral's Row & Build Market [Brownstoner]
Public Hearing on Admiral's Row Held Last Night [Brownstoner]
Pratties Have 'Cake-and-Eat-It' Design for Admiral's Row [Brownstoner]
Guard Starts Talks 'To Come Up With Alternatives' For Row [Brownstoner]
James Opens Door to (Partial) Admiral's Row Preservation [Brownstoner]
Officers’ Row Supermarket Not Happening Anytime Soon [Brownstoner]
Admiral's Row: Feds Must 'Consider' Preservation [Brownstoner]
Admiral's Row: "Extremely High Level of Historic Integrity" [Brownstoner]
Officers' Row: Let's Have Our Cake and Eat It Too [Brownstoner]
Officers' Row Preservation Coming to a Contentious Head [Brownstoner]
For Officer's Row, Supermarket All But Certain [Brownstoner]
May 27, 2009
MAS Continues to Push for Admiral's Row Preservation
The Municipal Art Society has put together the video above in advance of a meeting representatives from the group will attend tonight to advocate for the preservation of the Admiral's Row buildings at the Navy Yard. The organization, which has come up with plans to preserve the structures as well as build a new supermarket and retail space, calls the rumors that only the site's timber shed will be preserved an "inadequate solution."
Admiral’s Row Update [MAS]
Ugly Politics May Trump Reason in Admiral's Row Saga [Brownstoner]
MAS Floats Plans to Preserve Admiral's Row & Build Market [Brownstoner]
April 10, 2009
St. George's Mosaic Demolished
"It seems odd that in a neighborhood known for its fierce defense of architecture and craftsmanship that it was so easy for workers at the Hotel St. George to demolish the mural that adorned one of its walls for decades so quickly," wrote the Brooklyn Heights Blog yesterday after spotting chunks of the mural in a dumpster. Why did this happen? Safety.
Navy Yard Launches Restoration of Sands Street Gate House
Yesterday was a big day at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, with Mayor Bloomberg and numerous other officials in attendance to cheer a number of initiatives that have taken form or been announced in recent months like the Perry Building, which is the nation's first multi-story green industrial building, as well as the impending state-of-the-art renovations for the Duggal and Agger Fish buildings. (More on those projects here, here and here.) While we're enthusiastic about all of those projects, the unpublicized story of the day was the most exciting to us: The restoration of the two original gate houses at the Sands Street entrance to the Navy Yard. We spied workers atop the structure earlier this week (photo) and got confirmation from Navy Yard president Andrew Kimball yesterday that the restoration had just begun. The current structure that most people are familiar with is actually a wooden exterior that was added over the two gate houses about 40 years ago and appropriated more recently by the tow pound. The entire wood skeleton is coming down and the brick and marble gate houses are going to be restored to their original splendor, minus two turrets that appear to be permanently gone. We give the BNYDC a lot of grief over Admiral's Row but in this case they deserve a lot of praise for this worthwhile preservation effort. It should be exciting to watch! Update: We just got our hands on a rendering of the aerial view of the Sands Street entrance when the restoration in complete. Click through to check it out.
Continue reading "Navy Yard Launches Restoration of Sands Street Gate House"
April 7, 2009
Preservation Makes It To The NYT Editorial Page
NEVER before has America had so many compelling reasons to preserve the homes in its older residential neighborhoods. We need to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. We want to create jobs, and revitalize the neighborhoods where millions of Americans live. All of this could be accomplished by making older homes more energy-efficient...Before demolishing an old building to make way for a new one, consider the amount of energy required to manufacture, transport and assemble the pieces of that building. With the destruction of the building, all that energy is utterly wasted. Then think about the additional energy required for the demolition itself, not to mention for new construction. Preserving a building is the ultimate act of recycling. — Richard Moe in The New York Times
March 18, 2009
HDC's Tips for Owners of Historic Buildings
If you own an old house in New York City, you may want to take a gander at the latest brochure from the Historic Districts Council called Financial Incentives for Historic Buildings. Short version: The are several different kinds of tax credits and low-interest loans available for folks who live in either areas or buildings that have been designated by the LPC, New York State of the National Register of Historic Places. The HDC brochure lays out all the options for you.
October 23, 2008
2008 Neighborhood Preservation Awards Announced
The Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance works to promote "sensible development." Now they're celebrating individuals and groups who've done that around these parts, including the Crown Heights North Association, who've been active in working on that area's historic designation and organizing house tours; and South Brooklyn Legal Service, who helped preserve the Duffield Abolitionist homes from getting snatched up by eminent domain (that area is now being considered for an exhibit and nick-named "Abolitionist Place"). The group has helped residents fight foreclosures and use the anti-harassment law.
Photo by Crown Heights North.
October 20, 2008
Another Bay Ridge Teardown
The Green Church isn't the only preservation casualty in Bay Ridge. Local blog Beehive Hairdresser sounds the alarm about the teardown of an old Victorian house at 245 83rd Street. Unfortunately, it looks like it's a day late and a dollar short: Demo permits were already been granted earlier this year. In the meantime, says the blog, "the owner seems to be trying to allow nature to due his bidding desire of tearing the place down."
October 10, 2008
Happy Birthday PLG!
It was 29 years ago yesterday that the Prospect-Lefferts Gardens Historic District was born, an article in today's Brooklyn Eagle reminds us. Built on the former farm of 17th-century Dutch immigrant Leffert Pietersen van Haughwout, the architecturally distinctive community sprang up under the supervision of van Haughwout's great-great-great-grandson James Lefferts in the last decade of the 19th century and first decade of the 20th century. For more history, check out the Lefferts Manor Association website.
September 22, 2008
On to the Afterlife for Green Church
Looks like it's curtains for the 109-year-old Green Church in Bay Ridge, which preservationists had been pulling for all summer. The DOB approved demolition permits on Friday, and work will begin to remove the roof and tower. In July, a permit for a seven-story, 72-unit new building was filed. That one, however, is still not approved.
Final Prayers for the Green Church? [Brownstoner]
Deconstruction of Green Church. Photo by cbder.
September 8, 2008
Final Prayers for the Green Church?
The battle to save the 109-year-old Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, otherwise known as the Green Church, may be lost. Though 1,179 signatures were gathered supporting the church's preservation and delivered to State Senator Martin Golden in June, his office told the Brooklyn Paper, "Sen. Golden believes it will take a financial angel to save [it]." No angels have appeared. Instead, a Brooklyn Paper photographer spied folks whisking away architectural salvage items from the church in an Olde Good Things (a Flea vendor) truck in August. It is the pastor himself, Robert Emerick, who wants to see the building demolished, in favor of a smaller building (this one is in need of repairs and difficult and expensive to maintain, he says) and condos. Already, a demolition request has been filed with the DOB, though they rejected plans for a seven-story, 72-unit apartment building, 42-car parking lot and smaller church on the site. Still, the feeling among both sides is that it's a temporary stay. One politician still willing to fight for it is Councilman Vincent Gentile. Kathy Walker, a member of the Committee to Save the Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, told us, "There isn't much folks can do at this point except contacting Councilman Gentile and telling him he has their support and vote." In the meantime, some spirit of cooperation persists; the 30 members of the church are worshiping nearby, at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd on the corner of 74th Street and 4th.
Salvage Crews Move in on Green Church [Brooklyn Paper]
August 27, 2008
Restoring Downtown Brooklyn to Its Former Grandeur
If you didn't realize downtown Brooklyn was once grand, talk to Bob Furman, founding member of the new group Brooklyn Preservation Council. The Brooklyn Eagle reported on Furman's hopes for the area. They include raising awareness about the urban fabric that existed there before the Robert Moses-championed Cadman Plaza and Columbus Park replaced some 300 buildings, including a few neo-classical treasures, in a fit of urban renewal in the post-war years. "While we can’t rebuild the way it used to be, I thought it would be appropriate to commemorate what it once was,” he says. “I always felt that the Downtown Brooklyn and Cadman Plaza renewals were disasters. [Their] purpose was to reverse the decline of Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights, which [they] didn’t do.” One building especially missed is the neo-classical Kings County Courthouse, razed and eventually replaced by Brooklyn Law School at Joralemon Street and Boerum Place, made with Tuckahoe marble and designed by Borough Hall's architect, Gamaliel King. Hopefully the signs Furman hopes to erect, commemorating lost streets and buildings, will help deter us from making the same mistakes today.
Preservationist Looks to Commemorate Downtown Brooklyn of Old [Brooklyn Eagle]
Cadman Plaza. Photo by r5n5.
August 26, 2008
Dime Savings Bank's Exterior Restoration a Wrap
Riding through Fulton Mall last week, we noticed that the facade of the Dime Savings Bank was free and clear of the scaffolding that had enshrouded it for the past year or so. The historic building, which Francis Morrone calls "one of the four or five most magnificent banking buildings in New York City," was designed by Mowbray & Uffinger and built in 1907; it was expanded by the architects Halsey, McCormack & Helmer in 1931. The exterior is particularly notable for the dome, the collonades and the sculpture-filled pediment. (For the Landmark Preservation report on the building, click here.) As you can see from the photo below (on the jump), the interior is even more mind-blowing. Almost reason enough to open up an account at Washington Mutual, the current occupant of the building. GMAP
Continue reading "Dime Savings Bank's Exterior Restoration a Wrap"
July 16, 2008
James Opens Door to (Partial) Admiral's Row Preservation
Coucilmember Letitia James has modified her position on the preservation of Admiral's Row, the group of ten historic houses along Flushing Avenue, according to an article in The Brooklyn Paper. James had previously advocated razing the structures to make way for a supermarket, but the councilmember is now saying that "some" of the houses could be preserved and some kind of balance struck between preservation and addressing the lack of supermarket options for nearby residents. James told us that "the key to preserving some of the buildings is money. If the economics are resolved, we can move forward on preserving some of these buildings, but, my first priority is to meet the immediate needs of residents of Public Housing and Vinegar Hill." A formal public review of Admiral's Row redevelopment plans begins next Tuesday at a meeting at Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street, 7 p.m).
James gets in middle of ‘Row’ [Brooklyn Paper]
Guard Starts Talks 'To Come Up With Alternatives' For Row [Brownstoner]
Photo by SmithersJones.
May 27, 2008
It's Hard Out There for a Preservationist
The Sun has an article about how advocates for the Landmarks Preservation Commission are pushing the city for an extra $300,000 in funds this year. The LPC is one of only five city agencies that's not supposed to face budget cuts amidst nearly universal belt-tightening; their piece of the pie in FY '08 was $4.3 million. Still, preservationists are advocating for 300K on top of that, the same increase they got last year. (The Council has voted to give the LPC annual boosts of 250K or 300K since 2006). Advocates for the LPC say that the development-boom hangover has left the agency needing more money and manpower than ever, and they point to the fact the money they've received has been put to good use, as evidenced by the 26 individual landmarks and four historic districts designated last year. "Without having this enhanced survey capacity, a lot of the work that it does evaluating landmarks and historic districts will be very negatively impacted," says Historic Districts Council President Simeon Bankoff. With the mayor calling for $1.3 billion in budget cuts, though, not everyone on the Council is sympathetic to the LPC's plight. "My colleagues are seeking that money for preservation just like I am seeking approximately $450 million for education," says Council Member Robert Jackson, the chairman of the education committee. "Education has been cut, and so our children are receiving inadequate education. And to me that is much more important than landmarking."
In Time of Cuts, Extra Funds Sought by Preservationists [NY Sun]
Landmarks Preservation Commission Woefully Underfunded [Brownstoner]
April 24, 2008
Preservation Award for Brownstoner
Gabby included this in yesterday links but we didn't see the article until later in the day...The Eagle reported that four Brooklyn groups, including Brownstoner.com, had been honored by the Historic Districts Council for their preservation work last year. The 227 Duffield Street Coalition, the Dumbo Neighborhood Association and Develop Don't Destroy were all winners of the Grassroots Preservation Awards while Brownstoner received the Friend from the Media award. There is an awards party on May 15 at 6 p.m.
4 Bklyn Groups to Receive Preservation Awards [Eagle]
March 5, 2008
'The Nature of New York Is Change,' Dissected
Lost City's well-reasoned and highly entertaining take on preservation is always a treat to read, as with a post a few days ago, an inspired takedown of the lazy, hackneyed phrase so often used to defend the tear-em-down, build-em-up mentality: "The Nature of New York Is Change." We were particularly struck by these paragraphs:
I've long suspected that when people trot out this retort, the word "change" is used only as a euphemism for "money." For most of the changes that occur in the City and are argued in the press and on the sidewalks are motivated by money. Developments that will make the builders money. New chain store branches that will make their corporations money. Landlords who jack up the rent, forcing out valuable businesses, so they can make more money. And people don't like it when you get in the way of their cash flow, whether you be an individual, a neighborhood, a community board, an activist, a mayor or a mere blogger. "You object to my new development? Why, you dunderhead, don't you know that the Nature of New York is Money, er, Change?"This phrase needs to be retired for good. The statement does not confer an air of wisdom on the speaker. It is a gigantic and insulting shrug that shows you don't care a whit for the City, and aren't willing to lift a finger on its behalf. You've got a proposal to change some part of New York? Fine. Change is welcome here. We're all about change. But tell us why your change is good, why it will profit the City (and not just you). Don't just tell us it is good because it is change.
"The Nature of New York Is Change" [Lost City]
Photo by the c-side.
Pratties Develop Alternative Plans for Admiral's Row
Finally, an article in the mainstream media about Admiral's Row that considers the possibility that the decision over the future of the site isn't an all-or-nothing one, something that the blogs have been saying for some time now. Per this morning's Brooklyn Eagle:
The debate pits more well-off residents of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, who support preserving the houses, against the 12,000 residents of nearby public housing, who want a place to buy fresh food as well as the jobs that a supermarket could provide. But the controversy is not so simple, and many preservationists believe that both sides can have what they want.
A team of architecture and city planning professors and students at Pratt have come up with alternative designs for the site (one of which, from Prof. Brent Porter is shown above) that include the preservation of the 10 navy officer mansions (complete with green bells and whistles like solar panels and the construction of big-box retail). At least one of the proposals involves using the dilapidated houses for small businesses like a daycare center and a bookstore. The Navy Yard Development Corporation, however, says that ideas to preserve the houses simply aren't feasible, citing independent studies that show it would cost between $30 and $50 million. (A study released by the National Guard in January pegged preservation costs at $18 million.) “It’s just not economically viable, period,” said Andrew Kimball, president and CEO of the corporation. “It would basically involve rebuilding them from the ground up. These things are soaked and rotted.”
Pratt Profs Seek To Reconcile Competing Plans for ‘Admirals’ Row’ [Brooklyn Eagle]
FGA Pushes Preservation Plus Market for Admirals' Row [Brownstoner]
Admirals’ Row: Debate Still Framed as Either/Or Decision [Brownstoner]
Officers’ Row Supermarket Not Happening Anytime Soon [Brownstoner]
February 26, 2008
FGA Pushes Preservation Plus Market for Admirals' Row
The Fort Greene Association spent much of its monthly meeting last night promoting the position (which we share) that Admirals' Row is a "valuable historic asset" that can and should be preserved without having to forego the creation of a supermarket for the area. Howard Pitsch, former chair of the FGA, made the argument that the market plan put forth by the BNYDC was unneccesarily large. Rather devoting six acres of land to the market and providing parking for 300 cars, a more modest market on a scale of the Park Slope Key Food (which has about 80 parking spaces) could easily be built on four acres while saving the existing Admiral's Row houses on the remaining two acres. Pitsch also pointed out that the Army Corps of Engineers is obliged under Federal law to entertain all reasonable proposals in addition to the one already put forth by the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation; the FGA is currently reaching out to developers and supermarket companies in an effort to drum up alternative proposals. Pratt prof Brent Porter followed up with more drawings and studies of how the officers' houses could be adaptively reused for shops and community purposes while building a new green supermarket and creating space for a weekend greenmarket. The phrase "Have Your Cake and Eat It Too" was used more than once.
Admirals’ Row: Debate Still Framed as Either/Or Decision [Brownstoner]
Officers' Row: Let's Have Our Cake and Eat It Too [Brownstoner]
Fort Greene Association [FGA Homepage]
Continue reading "FGA Pushes Preservation Plus Market for Admirals' Row"
February 25, 2008
Admirals’ Row: Debate Still Framed as Either/Or Decision
Yesterday’s Times article on redevelopment plans for Admirals' Row more or less presented the issue at hand in the same old black-and-white terms: Either the 10 dilapidated 19th century rowhouses behind the Farragut Houses get demolished and a supermarket gets built, or the houses are preserved and no supermarket is built. The story notes that people living in the nearby projects are mostly in favor of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation’s plan to demolish the structures (“Those buildings are disintegrating, and nobody’s ever done anything with them, so put in a supermarket,” says a resident of the Walt Whitman Houses). What isn’t examined in the article, however, is whether it’s possible to build a supermarket and save the houses, an idea that’s likely to be discussed at a Fort Greene Association meeting tonight, where Brent Porter of the Pratt Institute will present “alternate plans to save these historic homes and provide needed community services.” Meanwhile, the National Guard, which owns the properties, is taking a long look at whether it should require whoever buys the houses to preserve them.
Amid Weeds and Rust, a Ruin Seeks a Second Act [NY Times]
Officers' Row: Let's Have Our Cake and Eat It Too [Brownstoner]
Fort Greene Association [FGA Homepage]
January 24, 2008
Looking Forward to Preservation
Per Queens Crap, a new initiative called “Preservation Vision: Planning for the Future of Preservation in New York City” has been launched. The project—which is being administered by the nonprofit Minerva Partners and has a steering committee with reps from the Pratt Center, World Monuments Fund, and the New York State Council on the Arts—“is a call to interested citizens and preservation practitioners to think about the future of historic preservation” in the city, particularly in light of Mayor Bloomberg’s plaNYC goals for 2030. Preservation Vision will run in three phases, the first of which involves an online survey (take it here) meant to gather opinions about preservation in the city. Further phases of the project will involve a conference on preservation and a report that includes recommendations culled from the conference and survey.
Preservation Vision: NYC [Preservation Vision]
Preservation Vision: NYC Has Been Launched [Queens Crap]
January 18, 2008
Officers’ Row Supermarket Not Happening Anytime Soon
The controversial plan to demolish ten 19th century houses owned by the federal government in order to build a supermarket at the Navy Yard has been "delayed indefinitely," according to an article in this week’s Brooklyn Paper. Federal officials say they need to determine if the Officers’ Row buildings can be preserved and hold a series of meetings about the buildings with the city and neighborhood residents. Those meetings wouldn’t begin until March, according to Kristin Leahy, the manager of the National Guard Bureau Cultural Resources Program, who said it was impossible to estimate how long the review process would take. The potentially lengthy review isn’t being greeted favorably by politicians who have been pushing for the feds to hand the properties over to the city so they can be torn down to build a supermarket that would serve residents of the nearby housing projects. “I’m disappointed,” said Councilwoman Letita James. “We’re trying to expedite the process.”
Navy Yard Supermarket on Hold as Feds Consider ‘Row’ [Brooklyn Paper]
Federal Goverment Not Rushing Admiral's Row Decision [GL]
Admiral's Row: Feds Must 'Consider' Preservation [Brownstoner]
Admiral's Row: "Extremely High Level of Historic Integrity" [Brownstoner]
Officers' Row: Let's Have Our Cake and Eat It Too [Brownstoner]
Officers' Row Preservation Coming to a Contentious Head [Brownstoner]
For Officer's Row, Supermarket All But Certain [Brownstoner]
Photo by j. vasco.
December 20, 2007
Amidst Lingering Controversy, BBP Construction to Begin
Construction on Brooklyn Bridge Park is likely to begin next month, according to an article in today’s Daily News, and the first phase of the project will involve the demolition of the landmark Department of Purchase building. "It's further evidence that the [ESDC] cares so little about what the community thinks," said Judi Francis, president of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund. "All parties, for and against the project, have wanted to preserve it because it's a landmark." Others, however, have argued the building needed to come down because it would interrupt the park’s continuity, and the LPC approved its demolition last year. Meanwhile, some neighborhood watchdogs are concerned about other aspects of the project as it gets off the ground: "I'm happy that the process is moving forward, but I hope there is a comprehensive plan for financing the park," said BBP critic Roy Sloane.
New Waterfront Park Coming Soon [NY Daily News]
Brooklyn Bridge Park Meeting: The Morning After [Brownstoner]
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Your Input, Please [Brownstoner]
Latest Restaurant Additions
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Chickadee Chick
added November 6, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Vutera
added November 5, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Park Cafe
added November 4, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Bahia
added November 3, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Aqualis Grill
added November 2, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene -
Wombat
added October 30, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Organic Heights
added October 29, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Giardini Pizza
added October 28, 2009 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens -
Rye
added October 27, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Bati
added October 26, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene