Brooklyn's Waterfront Gets Boost from Nat'l Trust
In the wake of the destruction of some the Brooklyn waterfront’s most historic structures, including the Revere Sugar factory, the Dutch Mustard building and the Greenpoint Terminal Market, the National Trust for Historic Preservation will today announce that it is adding the entire area from the Sunset Park through Greenpoint to its list of America’s…
In the wake of the destruction of some the Brooklyn waterfront’s most historic structures, including the Revere Sugar factory, the Dutch Mustard building and the Greenpoint Terminal Market, the National Trust for Historic Preservation will today announce that it is adding the entire area from the Sunset Park through Greenpoint to its list of America’s 11 most endangered historic places. The buildings really represent an important part of Brooklyn’s heritage, and it would be a tragedy to lose it, Richard Moe, president of the trust, said in an interview. We’re very concerned that there’s such a rush on to demolish everything. While presence on the list does not stop any of the buildings from death or disfigurement, it does give the issue a national profile and, hopefully, adds to political pressure for government to act on a local level to save an important part of the city’s heritage. Timed with the release of this news, the Municipal Art Society launched a new website this morning called SaveIndustrialBrooklyn.org that details the architectural and historic context for many of the waterfront structures. It also has a very cool interactive map (shown above) with the 411 on over 50 buildings in the footprint of the National Trust’s designation. As Mr. Moe puts it, This is a problem that can be fixed — it’s not too late. As we’ve said before, tearing down these buildings is not only short-sighted but potentially bad business. Their continued presence, whether converted in condominiums or turned into homes for arts institutions and other public uses, will only enhance the texture, and ultimately the dollar value, of the waterfront as a whole. Update: We’ve posted a few photos from this morning’s press conference on the jump.
Brooklyn Waterfront Called Endangered Site [NY Times]
National Trust regional director Wendy Nicholas
MAS head Kent Barwick
Pratt Urban Planning Guru Ron Schiffman
thanks. dimwitted… got it.
One more thing I forgot to add. What’s hilarious about the whole “we want a progressive waterfront” argument is that it’s totally from the 60s. If you were ACTUALLY progressive and new anything about high-end, cutting edge city planning and architecture, you’d know that it is resoundinly pro-conservation in terms of incorporating exiting structures while building off of and round them.
that’s dimwitted Chad…with 2 ts.
Postcard Picture Perfect makes me want to GAAAAAG.
Thank god New Yorkers are actually cool and would never settle for anything so phoney.
Go live in Australia. There’s plenty of room for you there, since all the Ozzies have moved to Brooklyn to get away from the postcard picture perfect place you so want to inhabit.
10:26…
You really give new meaning to the term “cut off your nose to spite your face”… Preserving and restoring these old buildings will add value and interest to a waterfront that, yes, does need new development. Destroying everything and building, what did you call them?…”glorious towers” by cheap, greedy developers will not make the Brooklyn waterfront a beacon of example for the country when it comes to development– it will make it a bad version of Miami Beach.
Also, the guy who says that preservationist are all rich, white racists… you are an idiot. Do you know how many non-white (and white) working class neighborhoods were destroyed because the preservationists were bulldozed by developers and the city planning process? Millions, literally millions, of people who needed affordable housing were cast out so places like Co-op city and Sty-town and half of the Lower East Side below Delancey could be put up.
It is possible, you dimwited little people, to build affordable housing, parks, “glorious glass towers” AND to preserve some of the f-ing history “native” new yorkers like 10:26 seem so anxious to wipe out in the name of progress….
and 3:48
Brenda, what’s the point of “salvaging memories and artifacts of Brooklyn’s industrial past”? Those old relics are horrific and are only half standing. What is there to salvage? The time has passed. That’s like trying to go back in time and salvage memories and artifacts of Brooklyn’s agrarian past. Yes, let’s knock down entire public housing complexes to put in its place sweeping farmland to remind everyone of Brooklyn farming history and pastime. What a joke. You people sound so pathetic. Yeah, lets get some slaves up in there too, perhaps from Brownsville and East New York, and make it really authentic.
Sorry folks. The Brooklyn waterfront is dead. It died decades ago. Now let’s accept this difficult fact, start anew and rebuild the damn thing the right way. Something of the nature of the Sidney Opera house would be an excellent start. I agree with the above posters We should be thinking spectacular and postcard picture perfect. Brooklyn is the greatest “city” in the world and is worthy of a truly magnificent waterfront.
FWIW, 10:26 is also 10:56, 10:57, 11:20, 11:34, 11:39. Lame.
The truly unique thing about Walentas is he loves the neighborhoods he developes — and he lives there. Where does Ratner et al live –as far away as they can!