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September 8, 2006

Domino Sugar Factory Proposed for Landmarking

condo
Despite last year's depressing failure to gain Landmarks designation for 184 Kent Avenue, the Waterfront Preservation Alliance is refocusing its efforts on the ever-changing landscape of Northern Brooklyn. First Up: The Domino Sugar Factory. On Tuesday, the group formally requested that the Landmarks Preservation Commission designate the Domino Sugar Refinery in Williamsburg as a New York City Landmark. The Domino site includes buildings that date to the 1880s, and occupies over five blocks of the East River waterfront. Why the urgency? The site is scheduled to be rezoned for residential use and early designs by Rafael Vinoly show plans to largely destroy most of the historic features of the building, according to a WPA press release. Of particular interest to us, given how much grief we've given him for failing to protect other historic buildings, is the fact that David Yassky has signed on in support of the designation. Did we mention he has a small election coming up next week? Regardless of the motivation, it's a nice change in attitude. The Preservation League of New York State, the Municipal Art Society, the Historic Districts Council, and the Roebling Chapter of the Society for Industrial Archaeology have all also joined WPA in petitioning the LPC.
American Sugar Refinery [Waterfront Alliance] GMAP




Posted by Brownstoner at 9:28 AM | Comments (21)
Categories: Preservation

Comments

I agree, its one of the most unique buildings on the waterfront. Very little is left to be preserved anyway.

Better keep the Polish drunks away from this place before the landmark vote, there might be an accident.

Posted by: Grandpa at September 8, 2006 9:59 AM

I'm all for landmarking preservation, but come on. This is not worth preserving. I'd venture to guess that when they built this factory, those unfortunate souls living nearby weren't thrilled with it.

Why not focus efforts on preserving intact residential blocks that are not covered (e.g. many parts of Bed Stuy, certain blocks of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Many blocks of Crown Heights) rather than try to prevent the development of derelict factories that frankly don't hold a lot of aesthetic or architectural value, only a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality.

Posted by: lp at September 8, 2006 10:18 AM

"Posted by: lp at September 8, 2006 10:18 AM"

I thought the same thing...but cleaned up, with some modifications it could make very cool lofts - or god forbid, modern, green light manfacturing - which think should be brought back to the waterfront - we're really being short sited putting up one condo after another, but then again, in a fractured society with no sense of community, greedy developers and paid off politicians don't care about the long term implications of what they are doing....

Posted by: dreadnaught at September 8, 2006 10:34 AM

Not that I disagree with the thrust of lp's comments but the sneer at "unfortunate souls" is gratuitous. Believe it or not, many of the people who lived nearby also worked in that building. Admittedly, dirty and physical, even dangerous work. But it was work, industrial work, that drew them there. Yeah, they weren't priveleged to form a NIMBY juggernaut like DDDB, and they had to fight for their economic lives with that employer, but it was still work and jobs for people without Ivy educations, who didn't really speak a whole lot of the Kings English, in short, work for Brooklyn. They can't do anything on the new waterfront except leave.

Posted by: Nicolo Machiavelli at September 8, 2006 10:35 AM

Tear it down, build very very tall buildings that increase the supply of apartment. Then those poor souls might be able to work to live instead of live to work. if every garbage dump like this was lanmarked there would not be a city

Posted by: anon at September 8, 2006 10:48 AM

It's not a "sneer" Nicolo, and I did think of the fact that 19th century factory workers, and those of later generations, probably lived nearby, but on balance, living by a factory is not the best for peoples' health or quality of life. It is a derelict site now, and yes, maybe it could be converted to be used as housing. I doubt light manufacturing jobs are goint to be created to fill this space. If it is converted into housing, how is that different from making condos.

I think people sometime have a romanticized view as to what NYC and Brooklyn was 150 years ago - some "neighorhoody" place to live were the working man got by easily and had a good quality of life.

Those things should be strived for, but I do not see how preserving this factory and convertin it into condos, as opposed to razing it and building condos, will do that. NYC's post industrial waterfront need's to be upgraded so people can actually enjoy it in the same manner as other great cities with waterfront property.

In the end, I don't feel terribly strongly about this, so I'm not trying to stir the pot. I just think LPC's attention would be better focused on protecting in-tact 19th century brownstone blocks and neighborhoods that for some reason were not included in the landmark districts that were established in the 70s and 80s.

Posted by: lp at September 8, 2006 10:52 AM

"Yeah, they weren't priveleged to form a NIMBY juggernaut like DDDB, "
....what's wrong about people protecting their neigborhoods? this 'nimpby' comment is so idiotic - do you think ratner-bloomberg want a stadium on the upper east side? do you think they would ever allow it to happen by their brownstones? I find it funny that people support giving huge subsidies to a billionaire developer, who apparently, can't figure out how to make a profit in a booming market...yeah he's the one I want 'developing in brooklyn. he's done a bang-up job already...

oh and anon...right! let's BUILD BUILD BUILD until we have the population density of Calcutta, because we all know how pleasant living there can be. Do you think, at all, about the future? no just $$$$ and you and greedy developers put the burden on future generations to fix. if everyone was like you brooklyn would be a big ugly big box dump, just imagine if developers had their way in the 60s - no brooklyn heights....an elevated highway down 5th avenue...

Posted by: dreadnaught at September 8, 2006 11:08 AM

lp, I like your suggestion to preserve brownstone blocks.How about some of the very much intact vernacular housing in Williamsburg itself. Ever walk down Fillmore Place?

I also think that since the drawings to replace Domino were done by a first class architect like Vinoly, maybe something first class (and creative) could be done that incorporates some of the existing buildings of one of the last great industrial structures from the past on the Bklyn Waterfront. Why are unimaginative glass condos the only things being built? I cringe when I think of the energy these building consume. As far as I know (architects please comment) glass can be made to either hold heat efficiently or facilitate cooling but NOT both.

Posted by: mikesomeonehappy at September 8, 2006 11:43 AM

lp, I like your suggestion to preserve brownstone blocks.How about some of the very much intact vernacular housing in Williamsburg itself. Ever walk down Fillmore Place?

I also think that since the drawings to replace Domino were done by a first class architect like Vinoly, maybe something first class (and creative) could be done that incorporates some of the existing buildings of one of the last great industrial structures from the past on the Bklyn Waterfront. Why are unimaginative glass condos the only things being built? I cringe when I think of the energy these building consume. As far as I know (architects please comment) glass can be made to either hold heat efficiently or facilitate cooling but NOT both.

Posted by: mikesomeonehappy at September 8, 2006 11:44 AM

Does anyone know which buildings they want to designate? I think the old red brick gigantic one could be cool when cleaned up and re-used, but for the most part, most of the site buildings look post war, and pretty ugly to me. Does anyone have a link to photos or renderings of what Vinoly or the developers have planned?

Posted by: Scott at September 8, 2006 12:06 PM

I recall seeing an experimental house on the SUNY New Paltz campus years ago that had double layered windows. During the day they could be clear to allow sunshine in and at night a layer of insulation would blow in to reduce heat escaping. I'm sure that the technology has improved over the years and they could do something even niftier now a days if the architect and engineers actual gave a toss about making a green building.

Posted by: Arsenic and Old Lace at September 8, 2006 12:13 PM

Scott -

According to the press release, there are three older buildings (1880s?), including the large central one in Brownstoner's photo above (and which is blocked by newer buildings in this pic). They are all in the same style. And you are right, these are all remarkable buildings that could be cleaned up and converted to residential. There is also interest in the large concrete and glass building with the sign - striking structure, though much less architecturally, and hard to figure how it would be used. But everyone who sees it wants the "apartment" at the top!

Gowanus Lounge has a picture up of only image of Vinoly's design seen to date (gowanuslounge.blogspot.com) - a poor quality cell phone shot.

Posted by: In Williamsburg at September 8, 2006 12:46 PM

Seriously, this building can be the Brooklyn version of the Tate Modern.

Alternatively, converting old industrial buildings into luxe housing kind of has a precedent, see Soho and Tribeca.

Posted by: GrandPa at September 8, 2006 3:01 PM

Thanks "In", I guess you're right, in some Russian Constructivist/ 60's Brutalist way, maybe the cement tower with the band of windows at the top could be kind of cool. Thanks for the link.

Tate Modern ?!?! Wow, what a awesome level to aspire to! Go Brooklyn!

Posted by: Scott at September 8, 2006 3:13 PM

No doubt the building has outlived its usefulness as an employer. And the living to work, working to live choice is kind of a tired cliche. But the waterfront industry is still important to Brooklyn and New York, those industrial jobs should be landmarked. A lot more housing is affordable with a $27/hr job than a $12/hr job. I don't imagine that this building will ever employ another industrial worker. It is sort of monumental but I'll leave it up to you who know more about architecture whether it has a useful life. I know little about the landmarking political economy but I do enjoy your comments.

Posted by: Nicolo Macchiavelli at September 8, 2006 9:12 PM

watch out! Is that Joshua Guttman coming this way with a can of petrol!?

Posted by: Anonymous at September 9, 2006 12:49 AM

Doesn't Mr. Guttman already have a waterfront building just down the road at 240 Kent Ave ( N1/ Grand). The green 3 storey manufacturing building could be reused for light manufacturing...wood shops etc. BUT where's the profit?
Why draw attention with another fire? The plans read that it will be 10 storeys (illegal for its zoning). It's being deconstructed on a daily basis so slowly and quietly that perhaps no one will notice the extra seven storeys.

Posted by: I. at September 10, 2006 2:39 PM

Guttman destroys everything. Guttman's goal is to burn down greenpoint and williamsburg and the city lets him - the city hands him the match - and then another and then another.

Posted by: Anonymous at September 11, 2006 2:13 PM

Make it landmarked. That is one helluva original building. It is the absolute Williamsburg past. Clean it up, develop the interior as lofts/condos, etc., but leave the exterior intact but cleaner. That should be the plan. This attitude of out with the old in with the new is destroying Williamsburg's character. The northside will be 75% cheap brick with air conditioning under each window construction before we know it.

Posted by: jbjb at September 21, 2006 6:13 PM

What this building needs to become is affordable housing for lower to middle class. We don't need more condos that no one can afford. I've lived in this neighborhood all my life yet I can't afford to pay rent here. Please, if you want to save this building, make it so that it becomes affordable housing. This is what our community needs. Help to keep the Latinos & Latinas who originated in this nighborhood stay here. This is my home, and I do not want to leave.

Posted by: Dani at June 13, 2007 9:29 PM

After reading these comments, i still think that the future and the direction in which this company went about is really sad.I should know cause the same is happening over at Entenmann's.The owner cries the blues about how he's losing money yet we still make crap because of the cheap ingredients we use due to his policy and changes that's been taking place since he bought this place. And yes we still buy domino's at the plant, and at least we keep some people employed over at what's left at dominos.
My heart goes out to the people at domino's and wish them well, i was considering a while back maybe transfering over to domino's, i guess that won't be happening anytime soon!
Brookyln no matter what is said about it is still and will be one of the best places to live in compared to Brentwood in Long island where there is nothing to see or do, well that's long island for you! And after this layoff comes where about 300 people will be laid off, i hope to see some union brothers and sisters from domino's so we can share some stories together over lunch. Stories like management,union delegates,saftey concerns etc. It's a big joke the way they even carried themselves. Leave a way to get in contact with all you great people in Brooklyn because down the road i will be back home, i live in Brentwood but home is Ridgewood after i get laid off...

Posted by: steven from Entenmann's at June 16, 2007 9:43 PM

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