Another Old Burg Beaut Biting the Dust
As we’ve long feared, Con Edison is demolishing the beautiful old power plant on Kent and Division that was built in 1905. Echoing a post put up last month on I’m Not Saying, I’m Just Saying, this morning AM New York has a story on the demolition, which sure isn’t sitting well with preservationists. The…
As we’ve long feared, Con Edison is demolishing the beautiful old power plant on Kent and Division that was built in 1905. Echoing a post put up last month on I’m Not Saying, I’m Just Saying, this morning AM New York has a story on the demolition, which sure isn’t sitting well with preservationists. The sprawling industrial building once helped power the BRT, and Con Ed bought it in 1950 and kept it running until 1999. The utility company wouldn’t comment on what it has planned for the site. The LPC rejected a push to landmark the structure last year. Preservationists argue that the demolition will result in the loss of a crucial piece of the area’s—and Brooklyn’s—history. “Large buildings like that are great adaptive reuse projects,” says Lisa Kersavage, director of advocacy for the Municipal Art Society. “The industry on the waterfront is really what saved Brooklyn, and that is going to be forgotten.” The most disappointing quote in the article comes from Evan Thies, a CB1 member who is campaigning to replace David Yassky. “Right now it’s an eyesore that’s way out of context for the neighborhood,” says Thies. “This is the 100-year-old problem of New York, that we don’t have access to the waterfront. … We can move industry and utilities to other parts of the city and the borough that are much less desirable.”
Historic Kent Ave Power Plant: Are Renovations Prelude to Demolition? [INSIJS]
Community Shocked as Plug Pulled on Historic Power Plant [AM New York]
Proactive on Kent Avenue? [Brownstoner] GMAP
Photo by i’m just sayin
Rear view
As always Benson RIGHT ON!, I couldn’t have said it any better.
rivers are out of context in nyc.
I agree 7:20
the Con Ed building at least won’t fall apart in the first hurricane like the glass clad towers. Reuse it!!
So dissappointed in Theis. I guess he learned a lot while working for Yassky. The community hasn’t forgotten Austin Nichols. Is a developer going to contribute to the council campaign??? There’s lots of room for adaptive reuse along the waterfront. Reusing the boros industrial heritage structures is certainly not incompatible with development, parks etc. Anyway, the new stuff that’s being built – even at luxury prices – is total crap.
whatever. it’s a factory. build something that maximizes housing and facilities and amenities.
3:20 is correct. They are two separate companies operated independantly of each other. There is also Con Edison solutions and Con Edison Orange and Rockland.
Out of context???!!! WTF?? The building epitomizes the context! What the hell kind of idiot is this Thies guy? This guy is dangerous and must be stopped.
Con Edison Development Inc. is a seperate company to Consolidated Edison Company of New York PLC
Con Edison Development, Inc. is an independent power producer that develops, builds and operates electric generation plants primarily in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
Con Edison Development was formed in 1997 as a wholly owned unregulated subsidiary of New York City-based Consolidated Edison, Inc.,