Piece of Historic Wallabout Threatened by Developers
The group of four large commercial properties that take up the entire western side of Hall Street (at left in the bottom photo) between Flushing and Park Avenues in Wallabout—two of which (30 Hall and 12 Hall, pictured at top) are of architectural and historic significance—quietly changed hands last December for $10 million. The new…
The group of four large commercial properties that take up the entire western side of Hall Street (at left in the bottom photo) between Flushing and Park Avenues in Wallabout—two of which (30 Hall and 12 Hall, pictured at top) are of architectural and historic significance—quietly changed hands last December for $10 million. The new buyers, the team behind HK Management that includes Harry Kotowitz, Howie Klaus and Jeffrey Sitt, have been taking pains to keep a low profile as they seek the city’s complicity in their plot to destroy a piece of Wallabout history.
Architectural historian and Columbia prof Andrew Dolkart discussed the buildings in his 2005 survey of the Wallabout area:
The buildings that survive on the west side of Hall Street were erected by two wholesale grocery businesses. E. Le Grand Beers, who also erected buildings on the east side of Washington Avenue, commissioned the large, seven-story, brick (later stuccoed over), cold storage warehouse at 30-38 Hall Street from George Chappell in 1898. This building was extended to the north (Nos. 24-28) in 1918. Charles Hutwelker commissioned two cold storage buildings to the north, both designed by C. E. Huntley & Co. Hutwelker was a meat packer who went into business in Brooklyn in 1884. The Hall Street warehouses were initially occupied by the Charles Hutwelker Beef Export Company. No. 14-16 was designed in 1909 and No. 18-22 in 1919. These buildings could be included within a Wallabout Industrial Historic District.
As some of you may be aware, earlier in the 20th century, the city’s biggest open market used to be held across Flushing Avenue from these buildings in what’s now the Navy Yard; as a result, the large buildings in the immediate area were home to many of the city’s biggest grocery companies. In addition, as was pointed out to us by one of the preservationists working on the Wallabout Historic District application, the large awning (photo on the jump) that runs along the entire front of 55 Washington and 30 Hall, is also significant. These two buildings also sit directly across the street from the complex of reinforced-concrete buildings built for the Mergenthaler Linotype company in the earlt part of the 20th century. According to Dolkart, “The entire complex should be designated as a New York City landmark as soon as possible in order to preserve the original features of this architecturally and historically significant complex.”
The ability of these buildings to be included in the Wallabout Historic District (which is still pushing to get in front of LPC) is now threatened by the recent assumption of ownership by HK Management, whose recent track record includes snubbing Dumbo preservationists and pulling the rug out from underneath buyers at 99 Gold Street. HK has already been taking the temperature of local politicians to see if they’d support an application to the BSA to tear down all the buildings to build new residential. What’s interesting is that the four properties (2, 12, 30 and 40 Hall Street) are already overbuilt: Collectively they have about 200,000 square feet of interior space on about 70,000 square feet of lot space, well in excess of the 2 FAR for the area.
If the city does ultimately consider granting a variance for residential in this case, we sincerely hope it will look to the current Domino Sugar Factory situation as a model and insist on the preservation and integration of the buildings at 12 and 30 Hall into any kind of a proposal by the developers. If you have any strong feelings about the future of these buildings or what kind of neighbors these developers are likely to make, we’d encourage you to drop an email to Council Member Letitia James at james@council.nyc.ny.us. Maybe the spectre of this destruction will be enough to get Tierney et al to focus a little harder on designating the Wallabout Historic District. We do hear that Tierney’s planning a tour of the area at some point this summer.
Wallabout Cultural Resource Survey [Myrtle Avenue] GMAP P*Shark DOB
The reason that Sunnyside was designated and Bed Stuy is not, and Forest Hills gardens is not, is POLITICAL.
Architecture is for kids, the real game is politics. The last thing the LPC wants is to go into an area and have the likes of Councilman Barron injecting racial overtones into every shopefront or window application.
On the other end of the spectrum, the folks from Forset Hills just told the commission: “you try and make us a landmark and we will sue you” -result? they go for working-class Sunnyside instead in order to fill their “Queens quota” although Sunnyside is hardly a stellar historical poster child.
It is about class, race, politics, and political clout. PERIOD.
The folks from Crown Heights North did averything right but the BIG FACTOR there was that the LPC was afraid to designate Crown Heights proper. Why? Orthodox Jewishe people. Of all the groups that the LPC is TERRIFIED of it is the Orthodox and Hassids and Lubavs.
These folks have clout, like the WASPS in Forest Hills Gardens.
Preservtion = politics, Duh.
I have no idea if that would work or not, and getting funding may take as long as going out and doing the work. Writing grants proposals is also hard work, and trust me, the city does not hand out money easily. It also takes political clout. I’ve also found that celebrities don’t get off of their money easily either, and I would imagine one would have to prove that your organization was above board, legit and was able to deliver.
The Crown Heights North Association was founded in order to bring about this landmarking. We are now reaching out into other community needs, but our volunteers knew that this was what the organization was about, and our founders, Deborah Young and Denise Brown were tireless in making this happen, and rounding up the troops.
I would strongly suggest that anyone who wanted to landmark their area form a non profit organization, with all of the forms, registrations, bylaws and other official documents and whatever needed, so that there is a legit entity for the city (and rich celebrities)to deal with. This also takes time, money and lawyers, but I would bet an attorney in the community would be willing to file the papers and join the board, as well.
I would also advise contacting the LPC and find out exactly how to fast track. Hiring Mr. Dolkart may be a way to go, or could just be a waste of money. Only the LPC could tell you the best way to go. They are very nice people to deal with, and are very helpful, as you both have the same goals.
Good luck. I would love to see Bedford Corners landmarked, as it is beautiful, a worthy district, and my old stomping grounds.
Brownstoner: Your photos should show more clearly the so-called “Hall Street Complex” bldgs, which are more striking and could help some (but perhaps not all) of the people on this comment chain see what is at risk.
In terms of bldg style, the Hall Street complex is on par with some of the coolest of those Gair bldgs in the middle of Dumbo. Would be sad to lose any of them for another glass tower.
This is the problem that I have with all of these preservation efforts. So much of it seems misguided and inappropriate. The LPC just granted Sunnyside, Queens landmark designation. Please take a look at the LPC Sunnyside Designation report. You call that a historic district? Where’s the significant architecture here? Sunnyside, Queens is indistinguishable from the likes of East Flatbush and Canarsie and those nabes stand zero chance in obtaining landmark status. The landmarking of Sunnyside is a slap in the face to communities rich in architectural history and culture such as Bay Ridge, Bed-Stuy, Kensington, Sunset Park, Victorian Flatbush and Windsor Terrace. Take a look Brower Park, the LPC put Crown Heights North through 4 years of intense hurdles and they turn around and landmark Sunnyside, Queens but won’t give Victorian Flatbush the time of day. I don’t believe this. In my view, the LPC has no credibility to speak of.
Brower Park, volunteers? It sounds like a full time job! That’s a lot of work. But I guess if the community really wants to create a historic district then they got to put in the work. However, I can’t believe FG and CH went through such immense hurdles. I mean these were pretty tough neighborhoods with serious social issues back then. Were residents really that organized? If so, then they were the ones who saved these neighborhoods and not the gentrifies of the past 7 years who love to take all of the credit.
In any event, I would hire a consulting firm to organize and expedite the entire application process (e.g., complete all applications and paperwork, get all required signatures and solicit and organize the support of local officials and make presentation to the LPC) and an architectural historian such as Professor Dolkart to conduct the survey . Otherwise, you’re going to be held hostage by the tenuous schedule of volunteers and ton of consensus meetings and meetings in preparation of future meetings – that alone will add two years to the process. In my opinion, I think you pay someone like Professor Dolkart and a consulting firm about $50-$100k and you’d reduce the time of having the entire application package in front of landmarks within a year. However, since the LPC must conduct their own study and they are seriously understaffed, it might take them another year to complete their end. Bedford-Stuyvesant community and civic organization receive a ton of dollars whether in the form of grants or subsidies that could be tapped to pay for the survey and such. Surely funds can be sought from the Fulton-Nostrand United Merchants Association and the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. Additional monies can be obtained through fundraising events hosted by famous Bed-Stuy residents. I mean the likes of Jay-Z, Chris Rock, Mos Def and Lil’ Kim can fit the bill on their own but I’m sure would be willing to assist with the preservation efforts in whatever capacity deemed necessary and most appropriate.
However, since the LPC already has conducted an extensive survey of the area then the first order of business would be to obtain a copy of this report and contact someone like Professor Dolkart to determine the scope of the project and provide some guidance on the process before implanting a strategy.
Good luck!
7:17, I think you are correct that the LPC doesn’t need homeowner’s permission. Especially for individual buildings’ designation. The documents are really more to show the various committees, politicians, etc, that an area is eager for landmarking, and that there is someone, or some group getting the feel of the community. There is a lot of misunderstanding and outright wrong information out there regarding what landmarking means to an area and individual homeowner. Getting these docs signed and having a lot of meetings and community forums was an important part of the process. Thanks for your clarification.
a bike path tying the communities together would also be awesom.
“Since a majority of the people in a district have to want to be landmarked, we had to have hundreds of documents signed by homeowners stating their approval, and all of these were forwarded with our other materials. There is a name for this doc, but I can’t remember it. You can ask LPC.”
I was under the impression that the LPC could landmark a single property or an entire area with or without homeowners’ permission and doesn’t it sometime happens over their outright objection. Further, I thought that the LPC took on the initiative and unilaterally decided to landmark most of brownstone Brooklyn in the ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s and only recently has moved the entire burden onto individual communities and have required so much work. Perhaps I’m wrong. In any event, Brower Park provides an excellent blueprint for pursuing landmark status in Brooklyn.
With respect to the Wallabout District, I just read the survey and it looks like the area is indeed worthy of designation. I can’t believe the amount of work that has to go into these studies. If the entire area gets landmarked and zoning is changed, I think the area could indeed flourish as a mini-Tribeca/Soho. Those warehouses would make great lofts and provide large street level retail space. I think it would be a win win for downtown Brooklyn. I only wished there was a subway line to tie all of the waterfront communities together.
Let’s get a few facts straight here, OK?
First and foremost, LPC does not approve or reject a neighborhood’s desire to be landmarked because of the racial makeup of that neighborhood. That is absolutely not true, and ridiculous.
Since I know from whence I speak, let me give you the rundown on how to become an historic district.
First of all, remember that the LPC is a city agency. An understaffed and underfunded city agency. Apparently, like some here on this board, there are many in gov’t who don’t think preserving our architectural history is all that important. They are extremely understaffed when it comes to researchers and field agents, I believe they have less than 10 full time researchers for the entire city.
Here’s what we in Crown Heights North had to do to get designated: This process, by the way, took over 4 years, and the hard work of quite a few dedicated volunteers. Bedford Corners, or anywhere else would have to do much the same:
1. Submit a request for landmark status. It helped us tremendously that the LPC had their eyes on us since the 70’s, and there was a preliminary LPC report written in 1978, and some photos taken. As it happens, this early report team was headed by Andrew Dolkart, who was the head researcher and writer at the LPC at the time. By the time we started to work on designation, 30 years later, some of the earliest buildings in CHN, noted by the study, had been torn down. A complete photographic survey of the area would have to be done. We knew LPC did not have to staff to do this in a timely manner – we did it. This involved volunteers with digital cameras taking a single photo of each and every public, private, commercial, residential building and empty lot in the proposed district. These were all transferred to a single file, and each and every slide had to have a block and lot number printed on the photo, and then downloaded to disc. These files are available on our website: http://www.crownheightsnorth.org, if you want to see what is involved.
2. Since a majority of the people in a district have to want to be landmarked, we had to have hundreds of documents signed by homeowners stating their approval, and all of these were forwarded with our other materials. There is a name for this doc, but I can’t remember it. You can ask LPC.
3. Integral to this procedure is the endorsement by politicians, community leaders, police captains, community boards, business and church leaders, etc, etc. We managed to get written endorsements from every local politico from the mayor to Marty on down. This is important, because these people all have a vote in the city council or in some other part of the process, and you need for them to not only endorse your district, but to work hard to get it approved. There are a lot of people trying to get districts approved, and this is where political juice is important.
4. If Landmarks is a go, they then have to start to work. This involves mapping out the actual boundaries of the district, and getting their people in the streets. Every building has to be checked out, notes taken on the present condition of the building, and a very detailed and complex report is written. This report not only lists every single building within the proposed designation, it must also include a very detailed history of the area, from the Native Americans on forward, as well as an architectural description of each building. All of this involves a lot of research at the DOB, newspaper archives, libraries and other sources of materials to document the building’s architect, style, date, building materials, history and other information. Every cornice and crenellation, fenestration and ashlar stone is mentioned in exacting detail. Also noted are owners or tenants of note, and other historical tidbits. This is a lot of research, and takes a lot of time. Crown Heights North was so big a potential district, it was divided into 4 phases, as the amount of buildings was totally beyond the scope of one study. As is it, Phase 1 generated a report of over 330 pages of information. It must have taken at least a year or two to gather the information and write the report. (A copy of the report is available on the internet. Google Crown Heights North Designation Report. It’s on a PDF, and I can’t copy the link.)
5. After all this is done, the report is submitted to the committee at the LPC, and the public is invited to a series of hearings to add their voices yea or nay, and hear the recommendations of the committee. A vote is taken, and landmarking is approved. We got that this spring, but there are still more votes to be taken until the City Council finally votes later this year, and we are officially and forever approved.
In order to get our Phases 2 – 4 approved, we have to do this all again, and are still in competition with the other districts all over the city. However, it’s worth it, and anyone who is truly interested in being designated can follow in our footsteps.
Bedford wives, if you want more information, I would be happy to get in touch with you.