Navy Yard Kicks Off Supermarket RFP Process
With the fate of Admirals Row all but set in stone, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp. moved ahead yesterday with its plans to find a developer to build a 40,000-square-foot supermarket and an additional 60,000 square feet of additional retail and light industrial space on the six-acre plot of land at the southwest corner…
With the fate of Admirals Row all but set in stone, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp. moved ahead yesterday with its plans to find a developer to build a 40,000-square-foot supermarket and an additional 60,000 square feet of additional retail and light industrial space on the six-acre plot of land at the southwest corner of the Navy Yard that is still controlled by the Federal Government but is expected to come under the BNYDC’s control in the near future. “We think this is a very unique opportunity for a developer to secure a long-term lease on a site where you can put a large supermarket, said Navy Yard chief Andrew Kimball. The winning developer would have to also finance and perform the rehabilitation of the Timber Shed and one of the Admirals Row houses, a task that could cost $25 million or more. The deadline for responses to the RFP is October 19. A complete press release is included on the jump.
Grocer to Edge Out Admirals in Navy Yard [Crain’s]
Proposals requested for Brooklyn Navy Yard [TRD]
RARE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP SUPERMARKET
& RETAIL CENTER AT BROOKLYN NAVY YARD
Proposals sought to transform six-acre site in underserved community
Brooklyn, NY (July 9, 2009) A rare opportunity to develop a neighborhood retail center anchored by a large format supermarket is now available at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) is seeking proposals to develop a six-acre site, known as Admiral’s Row, on the western edge of the Yard, in the midst of a densely populated part of the city that is underserved by large format supermarkets.
The request for proposals (RFP) seeks developers interested in building the retail center that will include a large format supermarket of no less than 40,000 square feet, as well as an additional 20,000 square feet of neighborhood retail space. According to the RFP, optimal development of the site also will include a minimum of 40,000 square feet on an upper floor to accommodate light industrial uses and could include additional upper floor commercial uses. The site is easily accessible by subway and bus, as well as by bridges and highways and will include significant on-site parking. The project requires the renovation of two historic structures on the site. A pre-submittal meeting and site visit will be held for interested developers on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 and responses are due by October 19, 2009. The RFP is available online at www.brooklynnavyyard.com.
In addition to the rapidly growing surrounding communities, nearly 40,000 residents live within a ten-minute walk of the site and 5,000 people work at the Navy Yard everyday providing a built in consumer base for the retail center, said Andrew Kimball, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, which manages the 300-acre industrial park on behalf of the City. Our goal is to put this property back to productive use by providing a unique opportunity for developers with the capacity and track record of establishing supermarkets and community-oriented retail that will serve the community and create local jobs.
The development of Admiral’s Row will continue the expansion underway at the Brooklyn Navy Yard — its largest growth since WWII adding over 1.5 million square feet of new space and 2,000 jobs over the next two years. BNYDC’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure investments and new green buildings has made it a national model for sustainable industrial parks. The development of Admiral’s Row will build on this track record of sustainability and success.
The Administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has made a significant commitment to improving and modernizing the Yard’s infrastructure by allocating $200 million in City capital funding. The Yard’s existing four million square feet of space — currently consisting of 40 rentable buildings with more than 240 tenants — is 99 percent occupied
About the Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard is owned by the City of New York and managed by the not-for-profit Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. BNYDC leases space in the Yard, promotes local economic development, develops underutilized areas and oversees modernization of the Yard’s infrastructure. The corporation’s board of directors is comprised of leaders of Brooklyn’s economic development community. Established in 1801, the Brooklyn Navy Yard served as one of America’s preeminent military facilities for more than 150 years. Closed by the federal government in 1966, the City of New York subsequently assumed ownership and re-opened the Yard as an industrial park.
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A significant portion of the Navy yard is historic and required to be retained(the hospital the medical directors house other buildings and the cemetery) I wish they had maintained the Admirals house and not sold it to a private person. We can disagree about the historic value of the “Admirals” row. They are a bunch of wood frame houses similar to literally thousands built throughout the country- some similar houses are being maintained on Governors Island(Robert E Lee lived in one of them). The exception was the sail loft which now is vestige of the sail era. The original graving dry dock still in use, is historic and must be maintained. The Navy Yard development people are opening a museum in a reused Marine Commandants building. So not every 2 bit building is being maintained. Yes it would have been nice if the Army National Guard either turned over the buildings 30 years ago or maintained them. It didn’t happen.
As for the 10 year time line given how long it has taken just to get ready to turn them over, its probably within the realm of reason but personally, I would expect something to be open in about 5….
you’re up late, g-man. I wonder if screaming louder would have made a difference 20 years ago in any case? Preservation in the Navy Yard wasn’t a priority then, or now to them. For whatever reasons- although the military certainly does have an interest in preserving historical artifacts and documents, I wonder why that interest didn’t seem to extend to the Navy Yard.
Still, I think you and BKRE are being a bit unfair to MM- she pretty much says everyone passed the buck, not just the Navy Yard. Actually I know when I use the words “Navy Yard” I’m not really referring to the business entity, but more to the Navy Yard as a generalized place if that makes any sense to you. (I’m going to admit I’m not sure I make sense to myself at this point, but it’s late 🙂 In other words, I am guilty of saying “Navy Yard” meaning a general place and historical entity.
The situation seems so complicated as to who is responsible for what that I think I have to agree with sam. We won’t see anything there for 10 years, even though those concerned seem to agree on a supermarket. I think what upsets Montrose, and myself is that the Navy Yard is such an important part of this nation’s history, and so fascinating that one would have hoped all concerned would have taken a greater interest. I admit that’s rather unrealistic on my part. Have a good weekend, g man.
Sorry, MM, but it is indeed completely illogical to expect someone to take care of their neighbor’s property. (I have some work that needs to be done at my place; are you coming over? Bring your own tools and materials.) Heck, let’s blame the city parks department–they’ve got some land across the street. The National Guard, and its parent organizations, the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense, are responsible. Well, them and all of the preservationists who did not scream louder twenty years ago, myself included.
Sorry, g-man, but I see nothing illogical in any of my statements. It is nit picking to say it wasn’t the Yard, it was the Feds, or the Navy, or the City who caused the decay. The decay was allowed to happen no matter whose watch it happened under, and that’s the point. You may disagree with my conclusions, but there is absolutely nothing illogical about them.
The Costco in Sunset park, in an industrial area, near no housing, by an exit to the same highway is the single largest volume producer in the chain(or was a couple of years ago)….so all of you who don’t think that there will be demand by a similar store really haven’t a clue.
This is a bureaucratic black hole. People are so optimistic about how a supermarket will spring up there and the private sector should get involved because there is so much money to be made. ‘fraid not. Nothing is happening there any time soon, ie: ten years.
I don’t know if it is so far off. I think they are going for an IKEA red hook kinda thing. They do after all want a parking lot which will attract people with cars. And they have all those condos buildings (toren, avalon(ugh!), catsimadis building) going up on flatbush with nowhere to shop. Dumbo people also complain there is nowhere to shop. The problem for the 10 minute thing from Fort gReene is that the BQE makes crossing over to flushing highly unattractive, it is a mental block walking i think i would rather go to the myrtle ave associated. But considering that the BQE is right there and there is an exit right there I assume they are trying to attract drivers… I hope they get that bikeway set up quickly because right now traffic there is calm, but it could get very busy…either way I will miss all those trees. To have a parking lot there and all those beautiful trees gone will be sad. They are a pocket of freshness. I hope it is a decent supermarket like a Whole Foods instead of Gristedes? Maybe they can ditch Gowanus and go Navy Yard?
“I go nuts over this….” That is probably why you are making illogical statements. As bkre asked, “Should you be blamed if your neighbor’s roof leaks?”
bkre, I was merely quoting the Navy Yard, there. Are you suggesting that their sales pitch could be less than 100% accurate, and stttrreecccchhhhhesssss the truth a tad? For shame, as they are SO above board in everything else, regarding this issue!
I really don’t care who dropped the ball over there, the Feds, the City, the Military, the Yard. It got dropped, big time. Personally, no agency or organization has done the Row any good since the Navy stopped using it for housing and office facilities in what – the ’70’s?, so there is plenty of blame to go around, and plenty of time has passed to give everyone a nice chunk of it.
I go nuts over this because I see it as a colossal waste of a site that most other cities, and/or countries who value their historic sites, would be overjoyed to have a chance to rehabilitate and repurpose to the common good. Even emerging countries like Jamaica are joining in with projects that preserve their history and their historic buildings, and also convert them into money making ventures, with shops, restaurants, and small businesses utilizing out buildings on estates, etc. I am well aware of our city’s and our country’s money woes, but no effort was made, higher up, to do anything until the costs became so prohibitive, due to advanced deterioration and neglect, that destruction was always a foregone conclusion.
It continues to be a profound shame, and a lost opportunity.