Admiral's Row: Feds Must 'Consider' Preservation
In the Brooklyn Eagle this week, Kristin Leahy, manager of the National Guard Bureau Cultural Resources Program, sought to clarify the federal government’s role in the potential preservation of Admiral’s Row: The buildings along Admiral’s Row are both eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places individually and as a historic district. Because…
In the Brooklyn Eagle this week, Kristin Leahy, manager of the National Guard Bureau Cultural Resources Program, sought to clarify the federal government’s role in the potential preservation of Admiral’s Row:
The buildings along Admiral’s Row are both eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places individually and as a historic district. Because of this, the process stipulated within the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) will require the National Guard Bureau to consider the effects to the individual buildings and the district as a whole that will result from the proposed property transfer. Any outcome to the buildings both individually and as a district, however, will be determined during the NHPA process. The NHPA process does not mandate preservation of any number of buildings because they are deemed eligible for listing on the National Register. Rather, the law requires the Federal agency involved to consider the effects of their actions and evaluate viable alternatives.
Bottom line: A full tear-down is far from a done-deal but there’s nothing stopping the Guard from imposing a death sentence on Admiral’s Row. An article in the most recent issue of The Brooklyn Paper quotes Leahy saying, There is no telling [what the outcome will be]. We have to sit down with both parties and try to come up with a compromise.
Real Estate Round-Up [Brooklyn Eagle]
Battle Lines Drawn Over ‘Row’ Future [Brooklyn Paper]
Admiral’s Row: The Projected Costs of Preservation [Brownstoner]
Admiral’s Row: “Extremely High Level of Historic Integrity” [Brownstoner]
Image from Brit in Brooklyn
I thought a private consulting company with experts in the field was hired to determine if this row of buildings was eligible for saving? They made a determination that they were not. If the SHPO jumped on that band wagon it was after this company made these determinations.
Someone please blow up this area and put in a whole foods?
4:20
Melvin is actor/writer/director Melvin Van Peebles, father of Mario Van Peebles. When Mario was considering an acting career, Melvin said there would be three phases to his career;
Mario who?
Get me Mario.
Get me a younger Mario.
The State Historic Preservation on Peebles Is. typically defers to local preservationists and follows their lead.
Who is Melvin?
Isn’t the state preservation office on Peebles Island? It’s in the middle of the Hudson River north of Albany.
1:13 -Peebles Island.
“pebbles” or cement, unless you mean Melvin
Simeon is a smart guy. These buildings need a preservation review. Of course the preservation officials will get a call from the governor’s staff and will roll right over.
Not exactly profiles of courage up there on Peebles Island.
Sorry – not what I meant. You implied that the Navy Yard was intent on demo regardless of what the regulations said. My point (and I admit it was poorly stated) was that the Navy Yard has followed all environmental regulations to date. The fed keep on changing the rules. They already signed an MOU which said that SHPO determined that preserving the buildings was not feasible. So that is really all the fed should be looking to. Doing all of this review now is not in compliance with the NEPA process. It is way above and beyond the NEPA process. The Navy Yard has been working with Army corps on preparing an EIS for over 2 years now – which is ridiculous. And now the National Guard comes in and starts a whole nrew process over and over again. IN reality, all federal review requirements have been met. This is just the national guard putting suspenders on their belted pants.
Ella
Ella,
Actually, you are incorrect. The Nat’l Guard still owns the property. They are a governmental agency bound by national laws. They are intending to transfer the propertyy and are bound by NEPA and NHPA regulations. That’s why there was the poster sesssion two weeks ago; they are bound to do an Environmental Analysis and perhaps even an Environmental Assessment. Hence, the Beardsley Report.
Simeon