Ugly Politics May Trump Reason in Admiral's Row Saga
We wish this were an April Fool’s joke but it’s not. Despite protracted efforts by the preservation world and a number of alternative proposals, one of the most important pieces of Brooklyn’s history may be destined for destruction. According to a report in Crain’s yesterday afternoon, the National Guard and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development…
We wish this were an April Fool’s joke but it’s not. Despite protracted efforts by the preservation world and a number of alternative proposals, one of the most important pieces of Brooklyn’s history may be destined for destruction. According to a report in Crain’s yesterday afternoon, the National Guard and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation have worked out a deal that would demolish all but one of 10 historic former naval residences that form Admiral’s Row along Flushing Avenue; the timber shed (above) would be spared the wrecking ball as well. If this is indeed the case, the short-sightedness and lack of imagination on the part of both parties is truly unconscionable. If the reported compromise on the future of the Admiral’s Row buildings is true we are deeply disappointed because the majority of these buildings could and should be saved,” wrote Lisa Kersavage of the Municipal Art Society in an email last night. “We will continue fighting to save these important structures. And Peg Breen, president of The New York Landmarks Conservancy, hit the nail on the head when she said that The Navy Yard made this an either-or situation, and it didn’t have to be that way. Indeed, the decision to frame the debate as preservation for the elites versus fresh food for the poor was a disgusting, though disappointingly effective, display of populist politics that conveniently pushed all the class and race buttons it was designed to and made it close to impossible to any politician to work towards saving the buildings. There’s supposed to be some kind of hearing to announce the “compromise” later this month. Let’s hope Crain’s got its information wrong.
Time Runs Out for Brooklyn’s Admiral’s Row [Crain’s]
Report: Admiral’s Row Discharged [Curbed]
Admiral’s Row: Up Close and Personal [Brownstoner]
MAS Floats Plans to Preserve Admiral’s Row & Build Market [Brownstoner]
Public Hearing on Admiral’s Row Held Last Night [Brownstoner]
Pratties Have ‘Cake-and-Eat-It’ Design for Admiral’s Row [Brownstoner]
Guard Starts Talks ‘To Come Up With Alternatives’ For Row [Brownstoner]
James Opens Door to (Partial) Admiral’s Row Preservation [Brownstoner]
Officers’ Row Supermarket Not Happening Anytime Soon [Brownstoner]
Admiral’s Row: Feds Must ‘Consider’ Preservation [Brownstoner]
Admiral’s Row: “Extremely High Level of Historic Integrity” [Brownstoner]
Officers’ Row: Let’s Have Our Cake and Eat It Too [Brownstoner]
Officers’ Row Preservation Coming to a Contentious Head [Brownstoner]
For Officer’s Row, Supermarket All But Certain [Brownstoner]
“In short, the preservationists acted as if the issue were about layout of the site and not about financial feasibility end use – which is what it’s always been about.”
Well said, MMHTPH.
“I wish you luck and success..The What”
My goodness. Thank you.
“Big E”??????????????? I missed him! Oh you mean Biggie, right?
The What <—- A Big E song…
Someday this war is gonna end…
This is Brooklyn. People have been living here for hundreds of years. There’s historical stuff all over.
A revolutionary war battle was fought 3oo yards from my apartment. A jehovah’s witness miracle (or two) happened in DUMBO. Big E grew up on a block in Clinton Hill.
One of my favorite “historical” buildings is 770 Eastern Parkway. Not many buildings have a connection to a claimed messiah. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/770_Eastern_Parkway
If we preserve it all, there would be nowhere left to live.
Deciding what needs to be preserved is a political process; it’s going to get ugly sometimes.
I love it when The What gets defensive. It almost makes you think he’s a real person and not an a robot programmed to hate on anything reasonable or positive.
If money were the only issue, few preservation projects anywhere in the City would pass muster. It is usually less expensive to knock down and rebuild cheaply. But money is only one of the factors that need to be considered in a public project of this magnitude. One that affects such valuable historic resources. As I wrote before, the timber shed is one-of-a-kind. And it is a completely flexible space for housing all sorts of commerical uses. The houses are also important historically for their links to the City’s military history, which is something often overlooked. How many people know that the Statue of Liberty was built on top of a military fort? Fort Wood.
What the Navy did at the Admirals Row site was unforgivable. Not only disrespecting the City of Brooklyn but also their own history and legacy. Now we need to figure out how to salvage something from the mess. It is not a fool’s errand as some have suggested but rather a responsible assessment of our heritage and our built environment.
“one of the most important pieces of Brooklyn’s history may be destined for destruction”
But is it really one of the most important? By what standard? I agree that, in an ideal world, these buildings should be saved. But I don’t think overstating the importance of Admiral’s Row helps your case. It’s sad to see any piece of historic brooklyn fall into the crosshairs of ta wrecking ball. But as preservationists, don’t we have to choose our battles? we can’t save everything. these buildings may have a special place in your heart, but the case for why they should be saved has to be more than an emotional appeal. It’s not just that a supermarket serves a real need for the community; other than the nostalgic and romantic impulses behind restoring an old building, I don’t see how these buildings would become a vital part of Brooklyn history. I felt the same way about the high line project in Manhattan. Seemed like a great deal of time and money and creativity went into restoring it, but given everything else that’s falling apart in NYC, things that are actually vital to the way we live and interact, I didn’t think the project made any sense…
“OMG! Did Montrose Morris just get The What to scurry back into his deep dark burrow? I heart MM.”
No Darksh*t I had to hit the Fail-safe button! I don’t want to Deep Attack Montrose Morris. I held back and just let things be things. No one makes me “scurry back” to anything…
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
“mommy, mommy, i want to go to admiral’s row!”
“sweetie, we just went last weekend.”
“but i want to see the cedar-lined closets again! and the intricate corbels!”
“uh-huh. wouldn’t you rather go to the zoo? or how about we see monsters vs. aliens.”
“NOOOO! i want to see grand parlors and richly-detailed woodwork!”
“we’ll talk about it tomorrow. it’s bedtime now. what book would you like to read?”
“power broker! power broker!”