Admiral's Row: "Extremely High Level of Historic Integrity"
A tipster who must have a day job as a stenographer passed along some highlights from the “Assessment of Admiral’s Row” report that was prepared by Beardsley Design Associates and Crawford & Stearns for the National Guard and was made briefly available for public viewing on Tuesday night. One of the main aspects that the…
A tipster who must have a day job as a stenographer passed along some highlights from the “Assessment of Admiral’s Row” report that was prepared by Beardsley Design Associates and Crawford & Stearns for the National Guard and was made briefly available for public viewing on Tuesday night. One of the main aspects that the consultants were charged with evaluating was the “historic integrity” of the site as a whole and the buildings individually. Bottom line: If the results were a report card, Admiral’s Row would have Straight A’s.
After application of the aspects of historic integrity to the collective Admiral’s Row district with due consideration of existing deterioration, it is apparent that all seven aspects of historic integrity are strongly present. The Admiral’s Row district retains an extremely high level of historic integrity to the historical significance of the BNY…After application of the aspects of historic integrity to the individual buildings, with due consideration of existing deterioration, it is apparent that all seven spects of historic integrity are strongly present in nine of the ten Quarters.
The report goes on to say that Quarters B and D are “exceptional and retain an extremely high level of historic integrity” while H, K, L and I retain a “high level” of historic integrity. Only Quarter C doesn’t make the grade with the consultants. And what kind of shape are the buildings in structurally? “In general, the structural integrity for the original 19th Century portions of the buildings’ superstructure appear to be sound, level and plumb.”
p.s. Readers may be interested in checking out Gowanus Lounge’s take on the situation this morning.
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]
Admiral’s Row Fixup to Cost $20M [NY Daily News]
Real Estate Round-Up [Brooklyn Eagle]
Photo from Officersrow.org
I do not claim to represent the Navy Yard organization. If I did – then yes, I would probably have to be alot more polite. But I honestly find it hard to be polite to people who are behaving as irresponisbly as many of the people on this site. I am not insulting the Brownstoner community – only the ones who think that they can sit on their ignorant high horses and pass judgement on the Navy Yard’s plans based on thinking about it for 3 minutes when the Navy Yard plans are have been in the works for several years.
My main point is that you all must understand that in order to save these houses, it’s going to cost alot of money to subsidize their renovation. You may argue that the City or the State SHOULD step up and fund those costs (and I may agree with you there), but the fact is that they haven’t, and they likely won’t. The City is already fundng millions of dollars to other projects in the Navy Yard and doesn’t seem to have the appetite to fund even more (can’t really blame them – they are already investing so much in the Navy Yard). The Feds have been trying to find money for these houses for about 8 years now – which to me says they are not really trying at all. The sad fact is that they did not give a damn about this site until maybe a month or two ago. Still I doubt the money is going to come from them. The State has been pretty absent from this whole discussion. So it’s easy to say “save the houses” but without that money – that won’t get you anywhere.
Given that constraint the Navy Yard has been trying to find a development program for the site that does not require any public subsidy. The development hybrids that have been proposed do not accurately depict the financial realities of the site. The simple fact is that if you require a private developer to restore the houses in order to get the right to develop a supermarket, no one will touch it because that project will lose money – lots of money. Not even close. The only way a private developer will touch the site is if he can develop on a blank slate. A supermarket development will not generate enough profit to subusidize the renovation of the houses. Hucksters like Shahn may try to convince you it’s possible, but the numbers they are throwing out ($500,000 per house to renovate) are so far from reality that it’s hard to take them seriously.
I’d just like everyone to appreciate the situation the Navy Yard is in and understand that this is not a black and white easy issue. It is complicated and difficult and requires one to have alot of knowledge about politics, finance, real estate development, preservation, and engineering in order to truly come to the appropriate solution.
Given all of that you can see why I have little patience for those who call the Navy Yard officials idiots or corrupt. Let’s recognize these public officials for the good they do. Most of them earn less than the typical Brownstoner reader and are earnestly trying to improve their communities. They have a pretty sparkling record when it comes to preservation, and they are a mission driven organization who’s whole purpose is to aid the surrounding communities by providing a place where industrial businesses can thrive a provide jobs to those who aren’t really qualified to go work at Goldman Sachs or TIme Warner. They don’t deserve to have to deal with the ignorant insults that are being flung at them.
-Ella
“Saying that the Navy Yard has not been a good steward of the hospital and surgeon’s house shows your ignorance. Please refrain from commenting until you actually know what you are talking about.”
Ella – if you represent the Navy Yard, (and my guess is that you do) you are doing a diservice to your organization and your cause by insulting the Brownstoner community. You don’t have to get personal. The facts are coming out and my gut is that the right result will prevail. Atlantic Yards won’t be repeated in any way, shape or form. My two cents – preserve the houses. They had and should continue to have a place in our community.
4:18 you are poorly informed.
The navy yard has been a very good steward of the buildings it controlls. It does not currently control admirals row so it can’t be blamed for their condition.
The Navy Yard only gained control of the hospital campus a couple of years ago. Up until then it was still owned by the Navy. In the couple of years since they have owned the property they spent several hundreds of thousands of dollars to perform a buildings conditions survey to understand what kind of shape they are in. They have also spent a ton of money to do “stabilization work” so that the condition of the hospital does not deteriorate (like the Admirals Row houses) while they figure out what to do with it. They have also spent alot of time and energy trying to come up with a plan to re-use the hospital. But it is not simple and it’s a big job, so it will take time.
Saying that the Navy Yard has not been a good steward of the hospital and surgeon’s house shows your ignorance. Please refrain from commenting until you actually know what you are talking about.
-Ella
I think that the Navy Yard has not done much for the community. it is a world apart. A gated community onto itself. It has not been a good steward of its historic buildings including the magnificant hospital and surgeon’s house. Fortunately most if its buildings and other structures are made of solid brick and stone so though neglected and unused, they refuse to disappear.
What can be done about the Navy Yard? It is now becoming Hollywood East or something, so one can imagine it will be ever more gated, ever more venal, ever more uncaring of the historic buildings within its boundaries.
“If our historic places don’t resonate with us as a people, if we are doomed to only experience our past as a special effect in a movie or behind velvet ropes, then we have truly lost more than a couple of old building.”
I was going to disagree with you, Preservationista, but then it occurred to me that you’re right. After all, these are the only 19th-century buildings remaining in New York City. After they are gone, there will be nothing left.
How could I have been so blind?
The Officer’s Row website (linked to at the photo credit) has some great photos, and interesting historical detail.
Sites like this, parts of Ellis Island, and the hospital ruins on Roosevelt Island are about the only places left in the city where history has been frozen, stopped at the point that the sites were abandoned. All of them should be preserved in some way, to allow us and future generations the opportunities to see and experience history first hand.
That is not elitest, or a waste of money, and should not be compared with efforts to house or otherwise help our growing population. If our historic places don’t resonate with us as a people, if we are doomed to only experience our past as a special effect in a movie or behind velvet ropes, then we have truly lost more than a couple of old building.
Preservationista/3:13
Wrong, Ella. When you state your opinions in posts like they come from the lips of a Higher Authority, then your association with the Navy Yard is relevant, because you speak as if you are an official voice for them.
I really wouldn’t care otherwise, God knows there are plenty of people here who do the same. However, your condescending attitude and comments about “very bad ideas masquerading as good ideas”, etc, etc without the bona fides to back that up, or even a good explanation of why, aside from “it just won’t work, and is a waste of time” (paraphrasing here) still is not cutting it.
I’m a member of the National Trust, too. I also care about economic development. That is why I think both preservation and development can both work at this site. We should not be at totally opposite poles here.
Anon 2:25 – you are poorly informed.
Roughly a quarter of the 3,000 people who work at businesses in the Navy Yard, live in the surrounding communities. Moreover, the Navy funds an employment center that has placed hundreds of people in full time jobs, both at companies in the yard and those outside the yard. The Navy yard has had several community meetings discussing it’s general development plans over the past 3 years or so – including the plans for Admiral’s Row. Also, at least once a year (usually more) the President of the Navy Yard goes to community board public meetings to update the public on what is going on in the Yard and to take questions. I have been at several of those meetings. The Navy Yard has sponsored many cultural events in the neighborhood, including Brooklyn Designs, and the Brooklyn International Film festival. The Navy Yard has committed to building a historic center which will eventually provide educational programs for Brooklyn School children.
ANd that’s just off the top of my head. I’m sure there are even more that I haven’t even thought of.
Does that qualify as doing things for or with the community?
Whether I am associated with the Navy Yard or not is irrelevant. WHat is relevant is the facts I am presenting in the arguments I am making. As long as those are all truthfull then why does anything else matter?
I am someone who knows alot about the Navy Yard, who cares about preservation (member of the national trust for historic preservation), who cares about Brooklyn, and who cares about economic development. Nothing else matters for this discussion
-Ella