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]
I’ve seen the buildings recently, and they are pretty far gone. Also, the immediate surrounding area has nothing that I can see benefitting from the restoration of these buildings, and it’s hard to imagine their being a tourist destination that could even support their upkeep. It’s sad to see old buildings and this slice of history go, but realistically no one is willing to pay or should be forced to pay. 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. Time has passed the Row by irrevocably and it’s time to move on.
from what i hear from people who are knowlegable about this issue -I don’t know anything myself- is that the process is not over. This was a leak from the Navy Yard to sort of convince people it is over. Sleazy.
Also, the article mentioned the saving of two buildings didn’t it? One of the houses and the timber shed. The timber shed is supposedly the only one of its kind left standing in the United States. It was where the timber masts and other planks and such were stored for the repair of the old wooden clipper ships. That’s pretty cool.
Rob,
Because of the examples we gave and the track record of countless posts on this blog.
Do you know what a forgone conclusion is Colonel Steve Austin?
The “thousands” of community members didn’t show up to rally at the planning meetings for a grocery store either. Does that mean the Navy Yards outreach sucked too? There were small groups from each side at the early meetings. Only the preservationists showed up at every single meeting, and every point they made was conveniently ignored because the decision was made before a single public meeting was even held.
“The hoity-toity, we know whats best attitude displayed by many preservationist is what dooms them from the start. No one has to frame them as elitists, they do it all by themselves. Drawings from IvoryTower professors and their students, combined with artsy-fartsy types reinforced the elite image. But most importantly, they failed because their community outreach sucked. They failed miserably in getting the thousands and thousands of citizens in the immediate vicinity(1/2 mile or less) come aboard their plan.”
PWNED!!!!!
The What (Oh that was ugly)
Someday this war is gonna end…
“Maybe if they don’t have kids they can get some money back for the portion of their taxes that go to public schools. Brilliant idea!”
Sign me up.
Sound like double talk to me, but that’s to be expected for a chairperson trying to rally the zealots in the face of defeat..
So the fight continues… Who is the opponent? You said you have a problem with the manner in which the ‘debate was framed’. Who framed it as such, BNYDC? Do you continue to bash BNYDC? As far as they’re continued, they’re moving forward with a plan that best serves the needs of the citizens in the immediate vicinity.
Being criticized as short-short sighted, lacking imagination and falling into some sort of trap doesn’t do much to advance your cause.
The hoity-toity, we know whats best attitude displayed by many preservationist is what dooms them from the start. No one has to frame them as elitists, they do it all by themselves. Drawings from IvoryTower professors and their students, combined with artsy-fartsy types reinforced the elite image. But most importantly, they failed because their community outreach sucked. They failed miserably in getting the thousands and thousands of citizens in the immediate vicinity(1/2 mile or less) come aboard their plan.
I am bothered by the fact that when the preservation zealots don’t get the outcomes they feel they deserve, the first thing out their mouths is class warfare/populist politics.
Its over… You lost… They threw you a bone… Learn your lesson and move one… I hope you find a way to move on without perpetuating the class warfare angle. Be a Uniter not a Divider.
Mr. B, I’d suggest that you don’t wrestle with a pig in shit. Clearly The What has spent a lot of time studying architecture to be touting the beautiful vernacular structure that was The Albeee Square Mall.
quote:
but you can’t question the sincerity of our position.”
wait. why not?
*rob*