Is Admiral's Row Timber Shed Beyond Repair?
NPR has an update on Admiral’s Row that looks into whether the Timber Shed at Admirals Row is reaching its expiration date. The story notes that despite pledges that the Timber Shed was one of two historic Admiral’s Row buildings that would be preserved as part of the site’s redevelopment, “at the end of last…
NPR has an update on Admiral’s Row that looks into whether the Timber Shed at Admirals Row is reaching its expiration date. The story notes that despite pledges that the Timber Shed was one of two historic Admiral’s Row buildings that would be preserved as part of the site’s redevelopment, “at the end of last month, the National Guard Bureau sent out a letter saying its engineers had declared the Timber Shed beyond repair and recommended it be demolished. Kristin Leahy, the Cultural Resources Program Manager for the National Guard, said the Guard wants to turn the building over to the city as is.” Preservationists and even the CEO of the Navy Yard are not cool with this news: “Still, Lisa Kersavage, from the Municipal Art Society, said was shocked to get the news. ‘It seems to be the decision was based on finances instead of what they should have been focusing on how can they mitigate the demolition of some clearly very important historic buildings,’ Leahy said. Andrew Kimball, CEO for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, said changing the requirements could endanger the deal completely. He said the developer still wants to include the Timber Shed in the redevelopment plan. But he said they could only do that if the federal government acts expeditiously. ‘They need to stabilize the Timber Shed and B or allow us and our development partners on the site to stabilize the Timber Shed and moves forward with the site transfer,’ Kimball said.” Yes: Sucky all around. Once again, the National Guard Bureau seems to have sat on its hands too long, thus endangering a precious Brooklyn relic and potentially messing with the Navy Yard’s redevelopment plans. Not that this comes as a total shock.
On Historic Admirals Row, Fear That the End Is Near [NPR]
Preservation Groups Sound Admirals Row Alarm [Brownstoner]
BREAKING: Admiral’s Row Renderings Released [Brownstoner]
Timber Shed Gets Reinforced [Brownstoner]
Timber Shed Might Not Be Saved After All [Brownstoner]
It’s Curtains for Most of Admiral’s Row [Brownstoner]
Rendition of the Timber Shed by Lucy Sikes c/o NPR.
It’s the last timber shed as I understand it so it’s very sad that no one was able to do anything. I know there was talk of tearing it down and erecting a replica in it’s place…just wouldn’t be the same. I hope they protect the hospital, officer’s club and surgeon’s house before the same thing happens to them. Sad:(
TheDude- sadly, you might be right. Some of them are already losing their homes as they are deployed. What an ungrateful country we are.
Agreed BHS. The Guard has bigger fish to fry, whether they want to or not. They’ve been forced into the killing business and now guard foreign countries. Not this one.
Maybe they should let the building rot as a memorial to when the US turned its national guard into its national offense. Either that, or build low-income housing for veterans like they did in the area after WWI. 167 Sands was originally VA. As were other Vinegar Hill buildings. But I’m afraid this group of vets will suffer a strange fate. They won’t be celebrated or admonished, like other wars. They’ll be ignored.
I don’t know the history of this, but it seems like the military has much better things to do with its time and resources than protect old buildings with no possible useful military function.
It seems like this land should have been turned over to someone else years ago.
The saddest fact is various parties have been telling the National Guard for years, ‘the buildings are in bad shape but don’t let them get worse; put tarps over any holes in the roof; construct a temporary roof above the timber shed to protect it from snow,’ but the federal government did nothing.
they waited this long to do anything now it is a state of disrepair – just knock it down then. Obviously after all these years it was of no importance.
Textbook demolition by neglect. Disgusting.
Having walked by it a few times, I don’t see any way that it could be repaired.
Great drawing, Lucy!