Closing Bell: Gowanus Whole Foods
Nate Kensinger, urban explorer and photographer extraordinaire, has sunk his teeth into the Gowanus Whole Foods topic, with a lengthy post about the history of the site with a bounty of photos. The subject is timely given that the green grocer finally began the environmental clean-up of the site that it committed to years ago,…
Nate Kensinger, urban explorer and photographer extraordinaire, has sunk his teeth into the Gowanus Whole Foods topic, with a lengthy post about the history of the site with a bounty of photos. The subject is timely given that the green grocer finally began the environmental clean-up of the site that it committed to years ago, though it still won’t commit one way or the other to actually building a store there.
The Whole Foods Lot [Kensinger]
Can anyone give me an idea what really has to be done to get rid of all the poison in this lot and in the canal and what it would cost?
Rob, I like some grit and grime too . . .. but the poisons here can make you sick. Very sick. I know because I’ve had lead and mercury toxicity. I used to be dismissive of that kind of thing. Not anymore.
but that is not the original site of the stone house, it’s been moved at least once, maybe twice if memory serves…
The old stone house is in J.J. Byrne Park.
Trouble is the cost of cleaning and putting a terrific store there exceeds what one can get selling food… they need to do a larger r.e. development along with the store to make it work
Actually, this site has a much longer history than the 125 years detailed in this story. It was a major battle ground during the epic “Battle of Brooklyn” During the Revolutionary War and is very close to where the “Old Stone House” once was (Now in McCarran Park.
The fabled “Maryland Regiment” stood their ground around this site and covered the Continental Army retreat to Manhattan. They are buried nearby, near 9th street I beleive.
There must be some very interesting historical artifacts buried in all that toxic waste…
i love scenes like that in that picture. cities need little pockets like this of grit and grime, decay, etc. everything should NOT be all sanitized and whole food-ized, how boring that is! great picture.
*rob*
Does the clean-up project consist of that 1 guy in the red shirt hauling away trash brick by brick?
If so, we may be in for a very long wait.
Wonderful piece!
Really wonderfully documented — both the summary and the priceless photos!
Personally, though, I think Bloomberg’s general plans for Gowanus were (are?) reasonable and invigorating. Through smart urban planning and proper cleanup, I believe Gowanus can overcome it’s pollution and bring out its beauty.