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…
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]
I’m all in favor of an active industrial port. In the case of San francisco, the presidio was an active military base until very recently and beautifully maintained all along – as most things in San francisco seem to be.
Benson, you have some good stuff here, but I have to vehemently disagree with you in your assertion that because the Row houses (to you) aren’t anything special, and can be found anywhere, that they are no big loss.
Preservation should not be like Noah’s Ark – save only one pair of each kind of house. There is so much more to the Row, the history of the Yard itself, its role in US military history, the history of the city, of Brooklyn, and on and on. I always knew we wouldn’t end up with an intact Row, the handwriting was on the wall from the beginning. But I was hoping an innovative, creative, and feasible use of many of the buildings would have been created. Once again, this city has sacrificed its architectural heritage on the altar of hyper fiscal responsibility, a god that is only worshipped when the mood hits. It’s not like we, as a city, are fiscally responsible in many other uses of the land and resources we have. (see AY, among other things.) Other “lesser” cities are much better at thinking creatively about the reuse and repurposing of architectural and historic treasures.
Actually it wasn’t the Corp of Engineers. It was the National Guard Bureau which was wholly underfunded for its mission. The CG which had made Governors Island its national headquarters for a long time was adequately funded until it was decided to close the base completely. Floyd Bennett has been in the City’s hands a very long time….
I still believe this is the best one-sentence summation of the disagreement:
“In short, the preservationists acted as if the issue were about layout of the site and not about financial feasibility end use – which is what it’s always been about.
Posted by: Make My Heights the P Heights at April 1, 2009 1:19 PM”
I’m not going to wade into the racism debate, but as I understand it, the Army Corps of Engineers requested the property from the Navy because they planned on using it to build some form of training facility. That training facility never came to be and the Army Corps just forgot about it and let it rot. There may or may not have been racism at the Navy Yard, but according to my understanding that’s not what brought us to where we are today. Racism is bad, and insensitivity to historic buildings is also bad (although probably less so).
I am not familiar with Fort Tilden. I am familiar with Fort Totten and those buildings, including the officers’ mansions, are A-OK. On Governor’s Island the Coast Guard made a real effort to maintain the property.
Sam;
Once again you are just making assertions without evidence. There is no derelict housing in other military installations in the city?!?!?!?!?! Really!?!?!? Have you ever been to Fort Tilden near Breezy Point, Queens (an all-white area)? The former housing is sitting there, derelict as can be, just a few steps away from the visitor’s parking lot. There are also derelict structures in Floyd Bennett Field, another former military installation (see Forgotten NY for some photos). Floyd Bennett Field is also in a white area.
Come on, Sam!!
benson,
I believe the US Navy lagged behind all other branches of the service in integrating its ranks, especially officers. Annapolis was not exacly known as a diverse place.
Former military housing in other parts of the city from Fort Totten to Governor’s Island somehow was prevented from falling into a state of dereliction. So why were these houses abandoned as if they were contaminated with radioactive dust?
Look, I think it is too late for these buildings. they are too far gone and now they should just pull the plug. What really bothers me are the historical reasons that allowed them to reach their current disgraceful condition.
Sam;
Usually you provide some of the most level-headed analysis on this site, but I think you are way off on this one friend.
I am not denying that there was racism in our nation’s history. However, I do not believe in throwing out the charge of racism into past history, unless there is some evidence of it, which you have not provided. Moreover, you are implying that racism was the sole factor in acounting for the military’s actions, despite the fact that, in general, they were WAY ahead of US civilian society in overcoming racial attitudes.
I had three uncles who worked in the Navy yard, and I suggest that you read up on its sad latter days before you draw a conclusion. The Brooklyn Navy Yard in the 50’s and 60’s had quite low productivity, and much of it can be attributed to labor issues. Moreover, the yard suffered from another intractable problem: it is located upriver from the Brooklyn Bridge span, which is at a relatively low clearance to the river. The low clearance made it increasingly difficult to build modern warships from there.