Ugly Politics May Trump Reason in Admiral's Row Saga
We wish this were an April Fool’s joke but it’s not. Despite protracted efforts by the preservation world and a number of alternative proposals, one of the most important pieces of Brooklyn’s history may be destined for destruction. According to a report in Crain’s yesterday afternoon, the National Guard and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development…
We wish this were an April Fool’s joke but it’s not. Despite protracted efforts by the preservation world and a number of alternative proposals, one of the most important pieces of Brooklyn’s history may be destined for destruction. According to a report in Crain’s yesterday afternoon, the National Guard and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation have worked out a deal that would demolish all but one of 10 historic former naval residences that form Admiral’s Row along Flushing Avenue; the timber shed (above) would be spared the wrecking ball as well. If this is indeed the case, the short-sightedness and lack of imagination on the part of both parties is truly unconscionable. If the reported compromise on the future of the Admiral’s Row buildings is true we are deeply disappointed because the majority of these buildings could and should be saved,” wrote Lisa Kersavage of the Municipal Art Society in an email last night. “We will continue fighting to save these important structures. And Peg Breen, president of The New York Landmarks Conservancy, hit the nail on the head when she said that The Navy Yard made this an either-or situation, and it didn’t have to be that way. Indeed, the decision to frame the debate as preservation for the elites versus fresh food for the poor was a disgusting, though disappointingly effective, display of populist politics that conveniently pushed all the class and race buttons it was designed to and made it close to impossible to any politician to work towards saving the buildings. There’s supposed to be some kind of hearing to announce the “compromise” later this month. Let’s hope Crain’s got its information wrong.
Time Runs Out for Brooklyn’s Admiral’s Row [Crain’s]
Report: Admiral’s Row Discharged [Curbed]
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]
OMG! Did Montrose Morris just get The What to scurry back into his deep dark burrow? I heart MM.
Money is not 100% fungible between things like historical preservation and cops and teachers, you can only say that in the abstract.
The difference between the Bronx Zoo, Seaport, Children’s museum and these houses lies in the amount of stuff to see/do when you get there and the appeal to kids, which in turn drives their parents’ spending and destination choices.
One of the fascinating things about this whole debate has always been the way in which the 2 sides are talking past eachother instead of talking to eachother.
BNYDC has been making the argument that they can’t restore the houses because it is not financially feasible. They’ve basically said that there is no use out there that will generate the revenue that can justify the huge renovation costs (I think the number has been $30-$40 million). Therefore, in order to save these buildings it would require significanct public subsidy. They have not found any source for the public subsidy, and even if they did, there are other preservation projects in the Yard (like the hospital and the surgeon’s house) that they deem more worthy of funds and are higher up on their list. Once they accept the fact the the houses are not savable, they looked into what would work there from a market perspective, and have determined that a supermarket is a feasible use that would also serve a community need.
The preservationist did not respond with any real ideas of uses that would make the renovation financially feasible. They didn’t come back with any sources of subsidy for this rehab. And they never came back with an argument for why we should be spending money on these buildings instead of on the hospital and surgeon’s house, which are much more important landmarks. Instead, they came back with drawings showing that you could shoehorn the supermarket in without demolishing the buildings. There was no financial analysis, and norecognition of the fact that no supermarket developer would want to operate in that configuration where they were surrounded by crumbling buildings. And no supermarket developer was going to subsidize the cost to renovate the building.
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.
Montrose Morris I’m going back into my Bunker. I don’t want to engage you. Please leave me alone and have fun with your new post. I wish you luck and success..
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
What, I know Jon can fight his own battles, and I’m glad he’s taking to commenting more on topics such as this. I just happen to agree with him on this one, nothing more sinister or planned than that. My positions on this issue are well documented in previous threads.
I disagree that no one cared about AR until the “Assheads” showed up. The workings of the Navy Yard have been a closed book for the public until recently. The place has been guarded and some of it classified, and parts are still difficult to get into. Workspace and offices for non defense industries is a relatively new concept for much of the Yard. If the houses weren’t visible from the street, we’d never even know they were there, it’s not like Joe Public can just stroll in and look around. People have been asking about those houses for a long time. Answers were never forthcoming.
Sometimes it takes the Assheads to get something done, but not always. Ordinary neighborhood residents, old timers and new, are the ones who facilitate change. I see that in Crown Heights North every day, and I’m proud to be one of them. There has always been interest in preserving Admiral’s Row. I really don’t care who those people are, I’m just glad they want to save it, and care enough to put up a fight.
Montrose Morris I’m very happy for you. You and Brownstoner have a alliance now and that is good news however I think Jon can handle his own augments. The point I’m making about Allbe Square Mall and Coney Island is those locations had a purpose and Admiral’s Row had none. Here you said it yourself “The row didn’t disintegrate a week before the economy tanked. They’ve been allowed to fall apart for the last 30 years. It was advised in the 70’s that steps be taken to preserve the houses, and nobody did anything then, as everyone involved either passed the buck to another agency, or decided it wasn’t their problem, since no one else was taking care of it. Voila, now we have what we have.”
To take places that was serving the community (I know ASM was a dump sometimes) and leave blight is disgusting! No one cared about Admiral’s Row until the Assheads showed up!
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
OK, I’m going to wade in here, firmly on the side of preservation and protection. The row didn’t disintegrate a week before the economy tanked. They’ve been allowed to fall apart for the last 30 years. It was advised in the 70’s that steps be taken to preserve the houses, and nobody did anything then, as everyone involved either passed the buck to another agency, or decided it wasn’t their problem, since no one else was taking care of it. Voila, now we have what we have.
I heartily disagree that because of their location, nobody would journey there for a tourist attraction. People said that about the South Street Seaport the Intrepid, and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, too. Granted, this is more remote, but it’s not impossible. The Children’s Museum has a trolley, as there is a museum bus, and tourist double deckers could easily take tourists there, especially as part of a Steiner Studio/Navy Yard tour. Public transportation is not super close, but it is there, people go to the Bronx Zoo and Botanical Garden, and countless other public places when they have a mind too. This is much closer.
The either/or scenario given is so frustratingly short sighted. I’ve ranted about it before, so anyone interested in the Yards has seen it, but suffice it to say, I agree with Brownstoner on this one.
There is also a HUGE difference between Admiral’s Row and Albee Square Mall. Apples and oranges. If you want to get upset over what was wrecked next door to the Dime Savings Bank, then we should be more upset that they tore down an historic Albee Square Theatre to build that POS mall, which never did well, for a whole host of reasons, including shoddy management. The only store to do well in there was Toys R Us, hardly a reason for a large mall with space for around 50 stores. And I’m not a Fulton Mall snob, either. I’ve shopped all up and down the street, and the mall never had good traffic, or successful stores.
The People need supermarkets, yes. There has always been a desire by most preservationists to include a market in that vast space shown above. Brenda is right. It is disingenuous to pit the community and its needs against the desire to preserve our history, especially when there is clearly the space for both, and the opportunity to do something important in the preservation of our city. The Navy Yard was one of the largest, and finest and most important military installations in the US. We should be able to do better than what we are planning to do.
The article, which I suspect was planted by the Navy Yard and the Mayor’s Office, concedes that at least two of the buildings will be saved, no matter how far gone. So even the number crunchers at the Navy Yard are willing to save two of the strucutres.
In light of this, why are some posters still promoting the demolition of all the buildings?
“If there are any dollars available, better to focus them on the hospital grounds and surrounding bulidings in the Navy Yard as a museum / tour area.”
How about taking these dollars for more Police and Teachers? How is that for a novel idea?
“Because of the examples we gave and the track record of countless posts on this blog.”
Time Runs Out for Brooklyn’s Admiral’s Row [Crain’s]
Report: Admiral’s Row Discharged [Curbed]
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]
So this make it right, right? Ok I’m done!
The What (A Asshats gotta know his limits)
Someday this war is gonna end…