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July 19, 2005

Underground Railroad Site Next to Hotel Project

duffieldNewyorkology has a follow up to last week's news that a development site on Duffield Street near Willoughby may be the future home of a Hilton and a Sheraton. The blog notes that the site is just across the street from 233 Duffield, which, according to signs in the window, may have housed slaves on the Underground Railroad. Other placards in the window support anti-development causes like the Brooklyn Coalition Against Urban Removal, something Newyorkology suggests could spell trouble for the hotel developers. We're not sure if this means the house has to be cleared to make way for the development or the owner could just end up being a giant pain in the ass to the developers.
Hilton, Sheraton Considering Downtown Bkln [Newyorkology] GMAP
Hotels for Downtown Brooklyn [Brooklyn Eagle]




Posted by Brownstoner at 9:11 AM | Comments (8)
Categories: Development

Comments

This whole section of downtown Brooklyn is underused and needs a face lift. If there is a place to put office towers, chain stores and added density, it is in this area bounded by Tillary, Flatbush, Adams and Atlantic. Just how many 99 cent stores does one neighborhood need? Many of the buildings are unused above the first floor. There are a handful of landmark-worthy buildings but the rest of this area should be redeveloped.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 19, 2005 9:48 AM

Might be nice for the Marriott to have some competition. Their rates are sky-high.

Posted by: clintonhillbilly at July 19, 2005 10:04 AM

those homes with the signs would be demolised, using eminent domain, to complete the downtown bklyn rezoning. but the owners blocked the demolition for now, because they have solid evidence the basements in their buildings have underground railroad tunnels. this is old news.

Posted by: ratnerville at July 19, 2005 11:07 AM

Funny how the Underground RR connection only came up after the rezoning was proposed - the evidence is less that stellar, and you know what - who cares! What are we preserving anyway a basement? There is nothing to study, look at or even unique - just lawyer tricks with the addition of the powerful race card

Posted by: David at July 19, 2005 1:02 PM

hmmm .... when did the real estate/developer shill show up?

to wit: "the evidence is less that stellar, and you know what - who cares!"

who cares? well, friend, there ARE other people on the planet, and in this city, besides yourself, and many of them DO care.

they care about history, about aesthetics, and about a good standard of living. methinks you do not.

Posted by: suzy at July 19, 2005 2:06 PM

No shill and I do care about history -but these houses probably do not represent much in terms of that....aesthetics - again these houses are far from that - ugly is more appropriate and "good standard of living" - dont know what this means but I think it reflects your belief that development of downtown brooklyn would lead to bad quality of life - I vehemently disagree with you but even so, I would urge you not to try to create false historical significance to these houses for the purpose of forstalling development, because in the end it will lead to a credibility gap that could effect legitimate preservation efforts

Posted by: David at July 19, 2005 2:33 PM

I am the owner of that building on duffield street which is 158 years old. It was built by a man who was an abolishonist on property owned by quakers who were against slavery. The Basement has many anomalies that indicate that it was used to house many people. the developers are willing to distroy any pristine site of the underground railroad to make way for a high rise office building. Lest we forget this period in Americas history is a blot in the minds any true American. The Underground Railroad is the only ray of light that shines throught in americas period of genicide witnessed by mans in humanity to man. These 7 houses are last of there kind in Downtown brooklyn. The basments and tunnels should be retained for pasterity so it bare witness to that era of Americas history where people put there lives on the line to save an other Human life rather then to enslave them. If they are distroyed shall we forget.

Posted by: Lewis Greenstein at August 11, 2005 10:35 AM

As one of the owners of the Duffield 7 ,I resent your statment that this is a ploy to hold up development and that the underground railroad subject just happened to turn up after rezoning was aproved. For your information it came up at the city planning hearing long befor the council ruled on the Downtown Brooklyn Plan. As for the race card Thomas and Harrite Truesdell were white as the driven snow,who unlike you , they happened to believe that all men and woman were created equal.And because of their belief our people were free. The Trusedell's could have lost everything he was a cotten broker. I'm proud to live in a place that housed these great people who help set my people free. I'm at 227 Duffield street and I would love for you or anyone else to come and see what my ancestors had to go through.
I challang you to put your money where your big mouth is mr no heart. This is our holocust do not make light of it.
Peace
Joy

Posted by: Joy Chatel at August 12, 2005 12:47 PM

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