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…
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]
Historic tourism anyone? Economic Development? Cost/ benefit 101: This is a vibrant and growing sector of NYC’s economy and an emerging trend on Brooklyn’s waterfront that heretofore has not been adressed in government economic development models whatsoever! Factor in the 14 mile green way trail, part of which is now being planned to go around the perimeter of the Navy Yard, and I make my case. A restored Admiral’s row will be a major destination along our historic waterfront. Struggling non-profits would welcome (line up in fact) for the opportunity to have smaller scale incubation space to afford and promote their missions, while serving the local community. Only $20 million to restore? Are you kidding me? This is nothing compared to a the huge pay off, now and into the future. What’s needed is an elected official with a longer term vision who sees the whole picture and is willing to step out. An alternative site for the supermarket can be found locally. In this recession, it’s a no-brainer.
Finally took a walk to Admiral’s Row yesterday. As much as I’m a fan of preservation and re-utilization, looking at those sad structures it’s hard to imagine there being much that’s “sound”, “leve” or “plumb”. I’m now swinging towards not being in favor of spending the money to salvage them.
(Sure, if there was an bottomless pot of money to use I’d be all for it. But last I checked we don’t have one. I’m very sad that these buildings were allowed to deteriorate like this.)
Canine unit? b4g, are you referring to the former Brooklyn Naval Hospital property? If so, BNYDC has been talking about making that a film/video post-production facility and back-lot. Kind of a spin-off from Steiner Studios.
slade… farragut & walt whitman houses aren’t small footprint. not even close. but sure why not a museum add a park too…. the navy yard IS huge. And what about the canine unit at the other end of flushing, that’s prime for development too. It would be a great museum location up on a hill overlooking the city skyline. There’s so much under-utilized space in the navy yard it’s ridiculous.
Gramps, the property is owned by the Department of Defence and was assigned to the National Guard Bureau. Pursuant to federal military base relocation legislation, the local municipality has the right of first refusal. If the city acquires the land, it has stated it would transfer it to the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. If the city does not take title, it would be sold through the federal General Services Administraion with the same restrictions developed as part of the Section 106 process.
The city wants to purchase the parcel from the federal govt. -no? Isn’t that the issue? The Federal government abandoned the property and now the city wants to re-develop it and demolish all the historic houses.
What the Federal government did here was definitely wrong. I have a mental image of white-uniformed navy officers ducking into their cars to be whisked away from Brooklyn as if it were Saigon. Never to return.
First question in this dispute. Who owns Admiral Row? Hint: It ain’t the Navy Yard. City wants to push this through but it was never approved by the Federal government which actually owns the land.
There’s plenty of affordable housing right across the street. I’d rather a few of the row houses turn into museums for the borough. The Navy Yard is massive.
Those buildings are definitely salvageable and beautiful! If landmark buildings with just a facade left can be saved, why can’t the army corps of engineers do anything about these? Even if they do end up saving Admiral’s Row, what’s the end game. Will it be affordable housing, or just some new development at market? This Navy Yard site offers a perfect opportunity to add much needed small footprint affordable housing options to the nearby downtown brooklyn area.