Officers' Row Supermarket Not Happening Anytime Soon
The controversial plan to demolish ten 19th century houses owned by the federal government in order to build a supermarket at the Navy Yard has been “delayed indefinitely,” according to an article in this week’s Brooklyn Paper. Federal officials say they need to determine if the Officers’ Row buildings can be preserved and hold a…
The controversial plan to demolish ten 19th century houses owned by the federal government in order to build a supermarket at the Navy Yard has been “delayed indefinitely,” according to an article in this week’s Brooklyn Paper. Federal officials say they need to determine if the Officers’ Row buildings can be preserved and hold a series of meetings about the buildings with the city and neighborhood residents. Those meetings wouldn’t begin until March, according to Kristin Leahy, the manager of the National Guard Bureau Cultural Resources Program, who said it was impossible to estimate how long the review process would take. The potentially lengthy review isn’t being greeted favorably by politicians who have been pushing for the feds to hand the properties over to the city so they can be torn down to build a supermarket that would serve residents of the nearby housing projects. I’m disappointed, said Councilwoman Letita James. We’re trying to expedite the process.
Navy Yard Supermarket on Hold as Feds Consider ‘Row’ [Brooklyn Paper]
Federal Goverment Not Rushing Admiral’s Row Decision [GL]
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]
Photo by j. vasco.
Montrose Morris, you done stepped in it.
First, I don’t know what “genetic” or “cultural” pool you’re talking about, because when I walk through Farragut Houses, I see all kinds of folks. No obvious common DNA or cultural heritage among them. And they all fat, and they all be eating some chicken. (Except the ones that smoke their nutrition; they skinny.)
Second, you are flat wrong that “none of this has anything to do with preserving the Row.” Food and diet has everything to do with the Row — they’re trying to replace it with a supermarket, for crying out loud. Listen to Leticia James’ stock speech advocating the tear-down. She says “diet,” “food,” and “fruits and vegetables” at least five times each. She might even say “chicken;” I’d have to go back and check.
Third, don’t blame the animals for the chicken bones. Let’s keep this civilized.
Ummm, please let’s not turn this into a discussion of the eating habits of poor people. Obesity is a huge problem in our communities, and its causes are genetic, cultural and economic. One reason enough would be hard to change for any group. Chicken, unfortunately, usually fried, is a cheap and plentiful source of nourishment. It is also one of the few dishes in the world shared by almost every culture on earth. It also has bones, which are taken out of the trash by animals, and sadly, also littered by people. None of this has anything to do with preserving the Row.
The first time I drove by those houses on my way to LGA, my head snapped around. “What are those?” I wanted to know — and was amazed to find out they (specifically, and the larger site in general) weren’t being used for anything.
Over the years I’ve been in cabs with a fair number of out-of-town folks, and their reaction has always been the same. “What are those? … They’re just sitting there? Really?”
Seems like buildings that turn heads like that shouldn’t be hastened out of the way. There have to be other ways to get a supermarket.
12:46 — I think the idea is to get better food options than just chicken. not that i support a tear-down, i’m just saying.
but i’ve also noticed the chicken bones and share your feelings about getting bigger garbage cans for the tenants.
These buildings are so beautiful they make my heart ache. Only a monster would destroy them.
And please, starving? Have you seen the people in those towers? Obesity is the norm, and the ground is littered with chicken bones. There’s so much chicken people don’t even have room in their garbages for the bones.
We did it. Hooray! Big box stores aren’t good for NYC’s economy. Big box stores are ugly. And we need to preserve our city’s cultural heritage and in this case our country’s heritage as well (as unpopular as it is to claim to be patriotic these days.) Look at Manhattan, everywhere it’s chain store after chain store. We can do better in Brooklyn. Why wouldn’t everybody just move to the ‘burbs and pay lower rent if the city looks like a Staples/Walgreens based mini-mall?
It seems that all of the neighborhood preservationists that came out to the last meeting made enough of a noise to get the demolition postponed and the possibility of preservation given a closer look. Good job everyone. Maybe we will get our cake and eat it too after all.
Expediting the process in this case will result only in the demolition of the old houses and perhaps paving over the area for a parking lot in anticipation of a supermarket that will never come.
People need to protest in droves and make big stink bec that’s the only thing politicians seem to hear. People power, as they say. I’d go. I think the board room meetings set a different atmosphere for politicians and they all end up in agreement on something, and usually not beneficial to the community they serve.