Glassy PLG Tower Bad News for Birds, Says Expert
Scores of migrating birds would smash into the glassy 23-story tower planned in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, on Lincoln Road and Flatbush Avenues, creating a mess on the crowded sidewalks below, said Prospect Park Audubon Center senior naturalist Gabriel Willow. He said adjacent Prospect Park, at 585 acres, is a popular resting place for birds along the…

Scores of migrating birds would smash into the glassy 23-story tower planned in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, on Lincoln Road and Flatbush Avenues, creating a mess on the crowded sidewalks below, said Prospect Park Audubon Center senior naturalist Gabriel Willow. He said adjacent Prospect Park, at 585 acres, is a popular resting place for birds along the Atlantic Flyway, and added that glass towers in Manhattan near smaller, less popular parks have been the death of hundreds of birds a year. “You’ll just find the ground littered with birds,” he said. Tom Gilman of Gilman Architects didn’t respond when asked if his design took migrating birds into consideration (the flock was added to the rendering). Meanwhile, developer Henry Herbst said he’s been busy polling the community about their preference for the ground floor retail compenentso far, they’re leaning toward a bank and organic market, even though the short block already has two non-organic markets. Herbst said, “They claim there’s no organic foods in the area,” which is basically true. Cage-free hens, anyone?
Wings Meet Deadly Glass [NY Times]
Form Follows Feathers: Bird-Friendly Architecture [Architectural Record]
Lefferts Gardens Gets a Few New Arrivals [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]
Let’s hear what the birds have to say on this…
I think they should build this out of cinderblocks and use tinted windows. Just make it a giant solid monolith that birds can see from miles away. The birds will be safe and the NIMBY’s will cry themselves to sleep every night.
A win-win situation in my book.
Anything proposed to be built close to PRospect Park can literally be vetoed by the NYC Parks Dept. This is a little known but true old law on the books that has doomed other similar proposals in other nabes adjacent to Prospect Park. And I can’t imagine that the Parks Dept would allow such a thing to be built as a result. Their concern is only the park. PLG residents will all just have to join one of the nearby Food Coops or suffer without organic produce.
“An estimated 1 billion birds die annually in the United States as a result of striking buildings, bridges, and other manmade structures. Many factors play a role, including lights, vegetation, and water. But glass is the main culprit, according to bird-safe design guidelines released in 2007 by the New York City Audubon Society, the Chicago Birds & Buildings Forum, and the City of Toronto. Since birds don’t perceive conventionally formulated glass as a solid barrier, they fly into it. They may mistake reflections as continuous space and be attracted to trees or other objects in or visible through a glassed-in space.”
The point is not that tall buildings are bad, or that bird safety is more important than housing, the point is, if design modifications can reduce the number of dead birds, then they should be used. I personally don’t care about the height of this buildings or really that a certain number of animals will die because of manmade alterations to the environment, although I think it’s heartless to not at least try to reduce animal deaths. I care about seeing dead or stunned birds on the ground almost every day, the sight makes me want to throw up. I don’t want to see them, step on them, or pull them out of my dog’s mouth. So if there is something that can be done so that doesn’t happen, like design modifications, than it should be done.
Who do you think would be more likely to live here, Carrie Bradshaw or Samantha Jones?
will there be a muffin store?
do think that it’s silly that brownstoners complain about new buildings. anyone so enamored with past and are obviously not the target for a brand new apartment like the ones in this building.
way better to hear what actual potential buyers of this type of apt have to say.
More glass high-rises will confuse terrorists of which bldg to target. What a concept.
Birdcage? I thought there was a strict moratorium on the gay references today.